Josefa Sigavolavola 
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has revealed that juveniles were the highest offenders in serious non-sexual violence cases for last month.
According to statistics released by the ODPP this morning, out of 37 individuals charged with 36 counts of serious offences, nine were juveniles making up nearly a quarter of all accused persons.
The information filed in the High Court included charges of murder, manslaughter, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, theft, and acts intended to cause grievous harm and juveniles were prominently involved in several cases.
The first being a manslaughter case involving three 16-year-old boys and an 18-year-old man charged in connection with the death of a 33-year-old man.
In the case of Aggravated burglary and theft, two 16-year-olds and two 17-year-olds were accused of breaking into a 39-year-old man’s home and stealing groceries and cash.
And finally, cases of aggravated robbery, a 16-year-old boy, a 17-year-old boy, and an 18-year-old man charged with robbing a 26-year-old woman of her mobile phone.
The statistics by the ODPP highlights a troubling trend of youth involvement in violent crime and while adults accounted for the majority of charges, juveniles stood out as the largest single age group among offenders.
The ODPP report also noted that four police officers were charged with acts intended to cause grievous harm, while other cases involved domestic violence, arson, and trafficking in persons.
