CHILDREN as young as 13 were arrested for rape and sexual assault in Oxfordshire last year, the Oxford Mail can reveal.

More than 1,000 were arrested between 2009 and 2010 on suspicion of crimes including rape, robbery and arson. But more than three quarters were released with no action taken.

Of the 1,052 arrested, six were for rape offences – including a 13-year-old boy – and 12 were arrested in connection with sexual assaults.

There were a total of 29 arrests under the 2003 Sexual Offences Act.

One 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of a serious assault on a girl under 13, attempted rape of a girl under 13, rape of a girl aged between 13 and 15, rape of a girl under 13 and sexual assault on a female. He was charged and bailed to court.

The figures, for arrests of children aged 15 and under in the last financial year, were revealed in a Freedom of Information request to Thames Valley Police by the Oxford Mail.

But arrests fell from 1,750 in 2007.

About half were committed by 15-year-olds, the new figures show, although six 10-year-olds were arrested for crimes including assault, criminal damage and arson.

Criminal damage was the most common offence, followed by shoplifting, actual bodily harm, assault by beating and burglary. Seventy-four children were also arrested for robbery or attempted burglary.

Oxfordshire Commander Chief Supt Brendan O’Dowda praised the fall in arrests.

He said: “We are diverting so many offenders and identifying youngsters who are at risk of entering the criminal justice system a lot earlier than in previous years.

“We will then put in place very quickly some tailor-made intervention that will stop the young person from offending.”

In Cherwell, for example, a dedicated police officer has been working with young offenders. Their offending rate has now dropped by 70 per cent.

He said sex crimes were likely to be sexual abuse within a household, rather than teenagers attacking strangers.

The age of criminal responsibility in England is 10.

Kate Mulley, head of policy and research at the Action for Children charity, said: “Therapeutic approaches have more successful outcomes than the high-cost result of these young people entering the criminal justice system.”

And NSPCC acting head of policy Lucy Thorpe said the age of criminal responsibility should be reviewed.

She said: “There is substantial evidence to show that children aged 10 are not developmentally mature enough to understand the severity and long-term consequences of their actions.”