Rise in youth court appearances

THE number of youths being prosecuted has risen by a third in just three years, a study has revealed.

Between 2004 and 2007 the courts saw a 31.4 per cent growth in cases involving youngsters, according to youth body Observatorio Infantil Andalucia.

Some 5,604 juveniles made court appearances in 2004, in comparison to 7,634 in 2007.

The worst provinces were Almeria and Granada which witnessed increases of 156 per cent and 57 per cent respectively.

Over 70 per cent of those facing prosecution were aged between 16 and 17 years old.