Support for 17 year olds in police custody

A total of 50,000 people have backed a petition urging the government to provide support to 17-year-olds in police custody.

The petition, which was handed into Downing Street today, was launched earlier this month by the families of two 17-year-olds who committed suicide after being arrested. In both cases, the parents had not been informed of the arrest.

The petition calls for an end to a legal anomaly that means 17-year-olds are treated as adults rather than children when in police custody, meaning that their parents do not have to be informed of their arrest.

Police are legally obliged to contact a parent or an appropriate adult to offer support and advice for young people in custody aged 16 or under. But for 17-year-olds, the decision as to whether to contact an adult is down to the discretion of the officer, unless the young person is deemed to be vulnerable.

Campaigners are currently awaiting the outcome of a judicial review on the issue, following a two-day hearing in February.