Exclusive:Calls for Taser ban after Police Scotland statistics show weapons used 131 times against children

Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland ‘very concerned’ by figures

Tasers have been used more than 130 times against children since Scotland’s national police force began deploying specially trained officers to use the controversial devices, according to a new report.

While the vast majority of the incidents saw officers draw or point the high voltage appliances at youngsters, they were discharged against under-18s on nine occasions. Two of those incidents – one involving an 11 year-old, the other involving a 15 year-old – are currently being investigated by the Police Investigation & Review Commissioner (PIRC). Overall, there have been 131 uses of Tasers against under-18s since June 2018, but the devices were only drawn, and not pointed at anyone, in around 40 per cent of those incidents.

The report, submitted to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), the primary governance body for policing in Scotland, also reveals that twenty people have suffered injuries after being targeted with Tasers since Police Scotland began training officers to use the devices in local policing divisions.

Some individuals sustained fractured ribs and elbows having fallen unsupported after being on the receiving end of the high-voltage shocks, which are designed to temporarily disable suspects. Others were left with minor wounds, such as superficial cuts and fractures. A total of 10 Police Scotland officers have also been injured while discharging their Tasers.

The breakdown of incidents has reignited debate about the force’s deployment of the weapons, particularly where children are involved. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has repeatedly called for a ban on the use of the conducted energy devices against children, describing them as harmful.

Nicola Killean, the new Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland, said she was “very concerned” by the figures, warning that it was “deeply traumatic” for children to be struck by or threatened with the devices. Juliet Harris, the director of Together, the Scottish Alliance for Children’s rights, called for a ban on the use of Tasers against children, describing the report’s findings as “deeply troubling.”

The details of the Taser user against under-18s comes just a week after MSPs voted unanimously for Scotland to become the first devolved nation to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into domestic law.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has repeatedly called for a ban on the use of Tases against children. Picture: Aaron Chown/PA

Police Scotland argues that the Tasers, which are capable of generating around 50,000 volts of electricity, help protect the public and emergency service workers from violent individuals, and can help to de-escalate situations. The force’s latest use of force performance report shows that officers used Tasers against children 18 times in the second quarter of this year, double the amount recorded in the previous three month period.

The force does not have a specific policy in place addressing the use of Tasers against children, but it states that the deployment of the devices must be “proportionate, legal, accountable, absolutely necessary, and ethical.” It adds that each use of the device is assessed according to the particular circumstances of the incident, and the threat being faced by police officers or members of the public. The force also points out that various advocacy groups are part of an advisory body which reviews and advises on officers’ Taser use.

The analysis of the Taser operations , presented to the SPA by Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie, argues that it would be “impossible” during a violent and volatile situation where lives are at risk for officers to distinguish between someone who is 16 or 18 years of age, adding that it is “vital” that “the threat and risk posed” in any such incident is the “primary consideration”.

His report also notes that the Taser X2 devices that have been used by specially trained officers (STOs) since June 2018 has been the subject of rigorous independent medical testing, adding: “It is acknowledged that there is an increased risk to children and persons with a smaller stature, and these increased risks are thoroughly covered within Taser training.”

Police Scotland's Chief Constable Jo Farrell has said she wants more officers armed with Tasers. Picture: Frank Reid/National World

But Ms Harris said the issue of a ban on Tasers being used against children was especially prescient in light of Holyrood passing the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill, and called on Police Scotland to “urgently demonstrate its commitment to children’s human rights” by ceasing the use of Tasers on children immediately.

“It is unacceptable for children to face the threat or use of Tasers, both of which carry a significant risk of physical and psychological harm,” she said. “The recent revelations about the continued use of Tasers on children, as detailed in Police Scotland's report, are deeply troubling, especially considering that there is no specific policy preventing the use of Tasers on under-18s. Incidents involving children, including the firing of Tasers, demand greater transparency and raise questions about the proportionality of their use.”

Ms Killean said: “We are very concerned about figures showing how often Tasers have been drawn or used on children and it is right that the PIRC are investigating two incidents of under-18s being Tasered. My office has previously raised concerns about police using Tasers, and these concerns remain.

“It is deeply traumatic for a child to be Tasered, or to be threatened with a Taser by police. Tasers are a dangerous weapon - they can kill, they can injure, and they can inflict severe pain, all of which is a huge risk to children and young people.”

ACC Ritchie told The Scotsman: “Tasers will only be used when it's proportionate, necessary and justified and we have a robust training programme to ensure those specially trained officers provided with Tasers know how to use them safely and in the correct circumstances. As is part of standard procedure in Scotland, the circumstances of all Taser discharges are referred to the PIRC.”

The legal authority on the use of Tasers is reserved to Westminster, but the decision to deploy it is an operational matter for the chief constable of Police Scotland. Earlier this month, the force’s new chief constable, Jo Farrell, said she wanted more of her officers to be equipped with Tasers and body-worn cameras.

Addressing a board meeting of the SPA, Ms Farrell said her experience of policing in England showed that it had a “positive impact” in people’s behaviour, and helped reduce assaults on officers. “I would want us to consider whether we can increase the number of officers who carry Tasers in future, should funding allow, and should officers be willing to do, so because it is their individual choice,” she told the committee.

Since June 2018, STOs have used Tasers on 2,344 occasions, with the weapons discharged 283 times. ACC Ritchie’s report said more than a third of the overall uses were “passive,” where the device was drawn as a precautionary measure, but never aimed at a subject.

The amount of specially trained officers (STOs) able to carry Tasers is currently being significantly ramped up by Police Scotland. Under plans ratified two years ago, the number of STOs is going up from around 500 to approximately 2,000, with the process set to be completed by April next year.

In the face of escalating budgetary pressures, Police Scotland has paused all training and intake over the festive period so as to allow trainee staff to support frontline workers and perform operational duties. However, the priority assigned to the rollout of STOs means that Taser training is continuing.

ACC Ritchie, Police Scotland’s executive lead for operational support, told the SPA’s policing performance committee that the STO programme had received a “special dispensation” so that the force is able to maintain its specialist capabilities.