TREATMENT OF 17 YEAR OLDS IN POLICE CUSTODY

That this House condemns the exclusion of 17 year olds from the specific protection given to juveniles in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, which remains inconsistent with domestic and international legislation which states that a human is a child until the age of 18 and that 17 year olds in police custody are consequently not provided with an appropriate adult as a matter of course; notes with great sadness the tragic consequences this has had for the Thornber and Lawton family whose 17 year old sons Edward Thornber, who was arrested for the possession of cannabis, and Joe Lawton, arrested for drink driving, committed suicide as a result; and calls on the Government for a change of law so that 17 year olds are treated as children when arrested and in police custody, as requested by a 52,000 signature petition presented to 10 Downing Street on 28 March 2013.