You’re under arrest

A person is innocent of a crime until proven guilty. Even if the TV news shows a ‘nasty-looking’ person being arrested or taken into custody by the police and charged with a crime, he or she is still presumed to be innocent.

This means that the police and the prosecutors must take the person to court and provide evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the person committed a crime. It is a good idea to remember this because sometimes the police make a mistake; or because that is what you would want people to remember if you were arrested.

Children and arrest

There are rules that the police have to follow if they want to question you. Don’t say anything until a parent or adult friend is with you.

If you are between 10 and 14 you can be convicted of a crime if you knew you were doing wrong. If you are over 14 you are treated the same as an adult. Check what the law says in your state.

Keywords

• Innocent
  
• Arrest
  
• Beyond reasonable doubt

What have we learnt?

• The presumption of innocence means a person is innocent until they have been taken to a court, and it is proven beyond reasonable doubt that he or she committed a crime.
• If you are under 18, you don’t have to answer questions from the police until a parent or adult is with you.