HC Deb 20 July 1967 vol 750 cc298-301W
42. Mr. J. Hobson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now bring up to date to 31st December, 1966 the Table 1 and Table 6 published on 17th June, 1965 of the number of murders known to the police, distinguishing between those which were or would have been capital according to the law as it was before the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act.

Mr. Roy Jenkins

Following is the information; it relates to England and Wales.

TABLE 6
MURDERS KNOWN TO THE POLICE TOGETHER WITH OFFENCES REDUCED TO MANSLAUGHTER BY REASON OF DIMINISHED RESPONSIBILITY
Estimated number of "capital" and "non-capital" offences
"Capital" "Non-Capital" Total
Number Per cent Number Per cent. Number Per cent.
1952 … … 17 12.1 124 87.9 141 100.0
1953 … … 17 12.1 123 87.9 140 100.0
1954 … … 22 15.2 123 84.8 145 100.0
1955 … … 15 11.3 118 88.7 133 100.0
1956 … … 30 20.0 120 80.0 150 100.0
1957 … … 22 12.8 150 87.2 172 100.0
1958 … … 19 12.5 133 87.5 152 100.0
1959 … … 23 14.3 138 85.7 161 100.0
1960 … … 31 18.7 135 81.3 166 100.0
1961 … … 20 12.6 139 87.4 159 100.0
1962 … … 28 15.2 156 84.8 184 100.0
1963 … … 22 11.6 167 88.4 189 100.0
1964 … … 26 13.8 162 86.2 188 100.0
1965 … … 38 18.9 163 81.1 201 100.0
1966 … … 41* 20.2 162 79.8 203 100.0
Before Homicide Act (1.1.52 to 20.3.57):
Annual Average 20 14.2 121 85.8 141 100.0
After Homicide Act (21.3.57 to 31.12.66):
Annual Average 27 15.2 151 84.8 178 100.0
* Including one offence not yet disposed of by the courts.

43. Sir J. Hobson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children under the age of 16 years were known to the police to be the victims of murder or of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility in each year between 1951 and the present time, and specifying those where the

Year Murders known to the police of children aged under 15 including, from 1957, offences reduced to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility* Victims of parent or near relative Victims of non-relatives Victims of unsolved murders
1951 … … 40 29 5 6
1952 … … 52 49 1 2
1953 … … 52 39 5 8
1954 … … 51 44 2 5
1955 … … 59 46 5 8
1956 … … 47 41 2 4
1957 … … 68 52 8 8
1958 … … 45 33 6 6
1959 … … 51 39 7 5
1960 … … 49 37 7 5
1961 … … 47 37 4 6
1962 … … 53 43 4 6
1963 … … 57 41 7 9
1964 … … 52 36 3 13
1965 … … 55 42 10 3
1966 … … 58 45 8 5
* The defence of "diminished responsibility" was introduced under section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957, which came into force on 21st March, 1957.

perpetrator was a parent or near relative and those where he was not.

Mr. Roy Jenkins

The murder statistics do not contain the required information for victims aged under 16; the latest corrected figures for England and Wales for victims aged under 15 are as follows:

Sir J. Hobson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the murders known to the police and of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility in each year between 1951 and the present time were committed by persons under the age of 18 years at

LATEST CORRECTED NUMBERS OF MURDERS KNOWN TO THE POLICE AND OFFENCES DECIDED TO BE MANSLAUGHTER UNDER SECTION 2 OF THE HOMICIDE ACT 1957
Age of Offender
Year Under 18 18 and under 21 21 and over Not known Total
1951 … … … — 7 103 14 124
1952 … … … 2 6 124 9 141
1953 … … … — 4 126 10 140
1954 … … … 4 7 123 11 145
1955 … … … 1 5 113 14 133
1956 … … … 6 5 126 13 150
1957 … … … 2 8 145 17 172
1958 … … … 3 14 120 15 152
1959 … … … 2 11 138 10 161
1960 … … … 3 10 146 7 166
1961 … … … 4 6 138 11 159
1962 … … … 8 12 151 13 184
1963 … … … 3 12 156 18 189
1964 … … … 7 12 146 23 188
1965 … … … 2 16 168 15 201
1966 … … … 7 22 149 25 203

In cases where a person has been killed by two or more offenders from different age groups, the case has been placed in the age group relating to the majority of the offenders concerned in that case, and where there was no majority, the case has been placed in the group relating to the offender of the higher or highest age.