Just 17 criminal proceedings have been brought against people suspected of grooming children into criminal activity, despite the so-called Fagin’s Law being introduced nearly two years ago. The Criminal Justice (Engagement of Children in Criminal Activity) Act 2024 — known as Fagin’s Law in reference to the character in Charles Dicken's Oliver Twist who recruits children as thieves — was introduced in May 2024 . It makes it an offence for an adult to either force or encourage children to engage in criminal activity. I would think that whilst the criminal justice lens continues to be at the fore, the child rights piece slips backwards. It found: “The norm age for drug runners is 12, and the youngest age is seven years.

Source: Irish Examiner April 06, 2026 05:48 UTC