Police accuse a 6-year-old to being a career criminal.
Posted by Capri on June 18, 2007
* 6-year-old Peter Akers *
A boy of six was sent a letter by police urging him to confess to being a career criminal.
Peter Akers was advised to admit any unsolved crimes so he could make a “fresh start”. He was even offered treatment for drugs addiction.
The letter – sent to Peter by mistake – was one of scores of warning messages posted to repeat offenders.
It read: “We are giving the opportunity for you to come forward and notify us of any offences you have committed but have never been dealt with.”
Suggesting a confession might see Peter spared jail, it added: “We will offer all the help and support we can to assist you in making a fresh start.”
Peter, from Derby, could only recall one crime however – stealing sweets from his sister Phoebe, aged nine.
His mother Christine, 39, joked: “I was going to take him to the police station to see if they could get him to confess to not tidying his room the night before.”
She added: “He certainly doesn’t have a criminal record, but it’s worrying that for some reason they seem to think he has committed an offence.”
It is thought that Peter’s details may have been taken when officers asked him whether he had seen two teenagers damaging a playground.
Detective Sergeant Paul Callum, of Derbyshire Constabulary, said police had apologised in person for the mistake.
“We had no idea he was six,” he added. “His age should have meant he was screened off the database by a computer program.”
Mr Callum said the confession letters had convinced a number of known criminals to turn over a new leaf.
Recipients of the letter are offered community sentences in reward for owning up to unsolved crimes.
