PRESS RELEASE

25 June 2010

Pressure mounts on UK to ban anti-child electronic devices

The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly earlier today (25 June) unanimously agreed that Governments and local authorities in member states should ban electronic devices that deliberately emit a high-pitched noise to deter under 25s from using public spaces and facilities. 

The Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) has been pushing for the prohibition of these devices for several years and alerted UN human rights bodies to lack of action by the former Government to protect the fundamental human rights of children and young people. In October 2008 the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended Ministers 'reconsider ... the mosquito devices insofar as they may violate the rights of children to freedom of movement and peaceful assembly, the enjoyment of which is essential for the children’s development...'. 

Carolyne Willow, CRAE’s national co-ordinator, says:

‘Thanks to the Council of Europe, these nasty devices may soon be discarded to the history books. It tells you something about our culture that sales of this device have been highest in the UK and no former Minister made any attempt to bring forward legislation to protect children and young people from businesses and public authorities conspiring to keep them away from public spaces and facilities. Indeed, the former Home Secretary supported the devices.’

The Parliamentary Assembly's report notes that legislation to ban the devices has already been drafted in Belgium and some local authorities in Council of Europe member states have taken action. In May 2007, CRAE warmly welcomed the ban introduced by Lancashire County Council. The Council Leader Hazel Harding said at the time: '[Supporting their use] would send out completely the wrong message about the county council’s attitude towards young people [and] The simple fact is that if these devices singled out any other group in society there would be an enormous outcry'.

Carolyne Willow adds:

'These devices not only attack the fundamental rights of young people, they also violate the rights of babies and young children, and young disabled people. An infant in a push-chair being wheeled into an area affected by the high-pitched noise could be in considerable pain but how would parents or carers know the cause of such distress?'.   

In the light of today’s news, CRAE has written to the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to urge him not to wait for a decision from the Committee of Ministers before taking action. It could take up to six months to get the Committee’s decision: the coalition Government could commit now to a banning measure in the forthcoming Freedom Bill.
   
More information: 07949 434 787.

1. The Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) seeks the full implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was ratified by the UK with cross-party support in December 1991. We are one of the largest children's rights coalitions in the world and our membership includes all the main children's charities in England.
2. On 8 February 2010, in a debate in the Commons, former Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: 'I remember well how [Natascha Engel, Labour MP] stumped me at my first Question Time, because I knew absolutely nothing about what she was saying. That is not uncommon for me, but I have since looked into the matter. There is evidence that shows that such devices can be helpful ... in Thirsk, for instance, where people feel that a congregation of rowdy young people is adversely affecting their quality of life. Where other systems to talk to those young people have not worked, those devices can assist the situation. Of course, there are health and safety aspects and the devices have to be used carefully, but I am afraid I am committed to using any device-or rather, devices that do not involve cruel and unusual punishments, but which bring about the improvement in behaviour that we all seek'.