The juvenile delinquency rate in the past six month was significantly lower compared to the same period of last year, a deputy head of the Criminal Investigative Department of the Police has told reporters.

At a news conference on Monday, Colonel Nelly Duryan said not only the crimes, but also the number of the minors who commit them has decreased.

“We have a decreasing number of juvenile crimes. In the past six months, there were 1,157 cases against the 255 cases last year. The number of minors who committed crimes has decreased to 184 from the 212 last year,” she said.


Duryan said robberies are the most commonly committed crimes among the minors. According to her, property theft has decreased from 165 cases in the first six month of 2011 to 90 cases in the past period.

Duryan said that the crimes involving the infliction of a heavy bodily injury, as well as the use of drug have decreased by eight cases in comparison with last year.

She noted further that there have been fewer cases involving the use of illegal weapons. Instead, she said, crimes of violence have increased in number.

“There have 108 cases of violence instead of 83,” she said, adding that 43 of the cases amounted to a sexual assault.

Duryan added 382 minors are now registered by the Police, their number decreasing continuously.