Minors commit more crimes in group

The number of crimes committed by minors in group last year increased by 17% on a year before. These crimes represent 19% of all the crimes committed by minors. The minors aged between 14 and 15 are involved more in thefts, while those aged 16-17 - in burglaries, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting the National Bureau of Statistics. 1,358 of the 33,400 offenses recorded last year were committed by minors. Either authors or accomplices, the minors are involved in different types of offenses. The thefts make up 65.4% of all the crimes committed by minors, while the burglaries – 8.4%. The teens also commit serious offenses like rapes, murders or murder attempts. In 2010, there were arrested 57 adolescents who stole cars, by 34 more than in 2009, 30 teens who committed rapes, and 27 minors who committed drug-related offenses. However, the number of convicted minors was 4.6 times lower than in 2005 and by 67 persons lower than in 2009. Each second convicted minor was put on probation last year, while each fifth juvenile offender was sentenced to community service. Seventy-four minors were imprisoned. A number of 1,799 vagrant children were accommodated at the Ministry of the Interior’s Temporary Placement Center in 2010, by 171 children fewer than a year earlier. Two thirds of them were of school age, about 7% were caught begging, while each third was taken to the center the second time.