‘Concerning’ figures show children involved in almost a quarter of murder bids

Children were involved in a fifth of all attempted murders in Scotland between April and June this year, with ministers urged to provide police with more resources as a result of the “concerning increase”.

A report by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) said there were 17 attempted murders involving 20 children between April and June this year – with this up from just five such cases in the same period in 2024.

It means children were involved in almost a quarter of all attempted murders where a suspect was identified, with cases in nine separate geographical divisions of Police Scotland.

David Threadgold, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, told the justice and home affairs magazine 1919 there could be a number of factors behind the rise, with “one being the lack of deterrent”.

He insisted this was a “real issue” as he warned: “There is no question adults are identifying young, vulnerable people and getting them to carry out crime.

“It’s a fertile ground for criminals to operate in and policing needs more resources to tackle it.”

His comments came in the wake of an SPA report which said: “Attempted murders by children have increased from five in the first quarter last year to 17 this year.”

This added: “These 17 serious crimes involved 20 children and accounted for almost a quarter (23.6%) of all attempted murders where an accused has been identified. This proportion last year was just 7.2%.”

The report also identified 52 weapons offences in schools between April and June 2025, up from 43 over the same period last year.

In March this year 15-year-old Amen Teklay was killed in Glasgow, with two boys aged 15 and 16 having appeared in court to deny his murder.

Meanwhile, in May, 16-year-old Kayden Moy was killed following a disturbance in Ayrshire, with two 17-year-olds and a 14-year-old arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

Miles Briggs, the Scottish Conservatives’ education spokesman, told 1919 it was “hugely worrying to see a sharp rise in young people willing to escalate violence to this extent”.

Describing the situation as “incredibly serious”, the Tory MSP said: “It’s time the Scottish Government woke up to an epidemic of violence in our classrooms and on our streets.

“A series of soft policies in relation to young criminals have not worked and it’s time to get tough on those who think attempting to take someone’s life is a reasonable course of action.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Any violent incident should be condemned. Whilst overall youth violence has been decreasing, that is of no comfort to victims, which is why we continue to tackle youth violence through education programmes, effective consequences for offences, appropriate police powers and sustained school and community engagement with young people.

“The Scottish Government has made it crystal clear there is no reason to ever carry a weapon, including a knife, at any time.

“This is backed by an investment of more than £6 million since 2023 to implement the violence prevention framework which includes action to address the carrying of weapons in and around schools.

“In addition, we are providing support and direction at a national level, including through the national relationships and behaviour in schools action plan, which includes recently-published guidance on consequences and on risk assessment for violent, aggressive and dangerous behaviour.”

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland, of Police Scotland, said: “Tackling the harmful effects of violent crime, which has a devastating impact on individuals, families and our communities, and supporting victims remains a priority for our officers.

“It’s important that people know Scotland remains a safe place to live and work with violent crime at very low levels.

“The majority of young people will never involve themselves in violent crime, with fewer than one in five violent crimes involving an accused person under the age of 18.”

He stressed that “overall, serious crime involving children and young people has reduced”.

Mr Sutherland said in April to June 2025 there were 55 serious assaults involving a child under the age of 18 compared to 93 during the same period last year.

He continued: “We continue to monitor trends in violence involving young people to ensure our policing response is proportionate and effective, and we recognise and are working with partners to address a recent increase in crimes of attempted murder.

“We must ensure that our young people are supported and not stigmatised. Our national strategy seeks to safeguard individuals, children and young people and communities from harm, and prevent children and young people from being exploited to commit or become victims of violent crime.

“We know we can’t do this alone and we work closely in partnership with the other emergency services, including British Transport Police, and key partners such as the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, Medics Against Violence and Fearless, the dedicated youth service of the charity Crimestoppers.”