JUVENILE CRIME WAVE

Juvenile crime in Palma is on the rise and, over the past two months, the National Police juvenile crime squad has located and identified no less than 30 juvenile delinquents in connection with a variety of different crimes. According to National Police sources, the force is “detaining” on average one juvenile every two days at the moment, but while the majority appear before a juvenile court, very few are then held in a juvenile detention centre. But apart from the sharp increase in teenage crime this year, the police are also alarmed by the rise in the number of girls involved. Since New Year the police have dealt with a variety of cases including scooter theft, damage to vehicles, sexual violence, threats, extortion and hit-and-runs. Theft is rife, particularly from city centre stores, with items manufactured by the main clothing labels being the prime targets.
However, one isolated occasion involved the victims being left bare-footed after the thief made the youngsters hand over their expensive trainers.