SNP minister 'dodges responsibility' over soaring youth crime as she dismisses calls for tougher discipline
Angela Constance is 'in denial' about the reality of crime in Scotland after dismissing calls for a tougher justice system as 'misplaced'.
The SNP Justice Secretary was also accused of 'shamefully' passing the buck for rising youth violence, blaming councils, schools and Westminster instead of accepting blame herself.
The Scottish Conservatives said it was typical of the 'total inaction' by the Nationalists.
There has been a 600 per cent increase in serious assaults by teenagers and an almost 300 power cent rise in violence in schools over the past five years.
The issue dominated First Minister's Questions last week, following the death of 16-year-old Kayden Moy, and the Tories said the SNP government's weak stance was 'costing lives'
Tory leader Russell Findlay cited a 'reckless' justice system that failed to punish young offenders, a lack of discipline in schools and lenient sentencing rules for under-25s.
But appearing on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show, Ms Constance was contemptuous of calls for 'proper discipline' and 'being tough' on tearaways instead of 'too soft'.
She said: 'It's really important that we don't focus on the arguments of the past or approaches of the past that have not worked.
There has been a 600 per cent increase in serious assaults by teenagers and an almost 300 power cent rise in violence in schools over the past five years
'Some of the rhetoric around discipline, around being tough, that we need a tougher justice system, I would suggest is misplaced.
'What families want is interventions that work, and the earlier the intervention the better.'
Earlier on the show, YouthLink Scotland chief executive Tim Frew said it was 'very urgent' that youth services lost in public sector budget cuts were restored.
He highlighted a 50 per cent reduction in council youth workers in just eight years.
Pressed on whether there was a 'direct link' between service cuts and a rise in violent crime, Ms Constance said: 'The rise in violent crime amongst young people is complex. There's not one reason. There will be many, and that means there will be more than one solution.
'Let me be absolutely clear. The contribution that youth work currently makes in this country, and could make, will be imperative going forwards as a key part of the solution.'
She said decisions on the size of Holyrood's budget 'rest elsewhere in Westminster' and 'all tiers of government make decisions around resources'.
Exclusion of violent pupils 'does remain an option for schools', she said, but then added 'children do not learn and change if they are absent from schools'.
Asked why ministers had withdrawn £11million of funding, she said she was 'very pleased' to be convening the second youth violence summit of the year next month.
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: 'Violence in Scotland's schools is soaring amid a 600 per cent rise in serious assaults by teens - all on the SNP's watch.
'The SNP government has left fewer police to enforce the law, little prospect of repercussions from their soft-touch policies, and no grassroots projects to help keep children on the right path.
'Ms Constance shamefully refused to take responsibility for the cuts her government has made to youth workers across Scotland.
'Instead of admitting the problem, she hid behind councils, schools and of course Westminster for being responsible.
'She did seem to be 'very pleased' to be holding a meeting about it - but this cannot be yet another SNP summit to hide their total inaction on this critical issue.'
Scottish Labour's Pauline McNeil added: 'We need urgent action to tackle the devastating rise in youth violence but it's clear the SNP is still in denial about the scale of this crisis and its driving causes.
'Angela Constance has refused to take responsibility for her government's role in this crisis and the devastating effects of the SNP's cuts to youth work services.
'We owe it to the next generation to deal with the youth violence crisis and keep young people safe - the SNP must acknowledge their mistakes and support these key services.'
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