The number of children referred to the Garda Diversion Programme fell for the sixth year in a row, according to its latest report.

12,246 children, involved in a total of 24,069 offences, were referred to the scheme in 2012, a fall of 536 compared to the year previous.

Children involved in the programme are cautioned and spend a period of time under the supervision of a Garda Juvenile Liaison Officer to deter them from re-offending.
It is also described by the Department of Justice as an effort to “find alternative means to Court to deal with offending and to prevent future offending”.
The programme also involves an element of restorative justice, where the young person who has committed the crime meets with the victim.