Prisoners: Crimes of Violence

(asked on 20th May 2019) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been (a) charged and (b) convicted of an offence under Section 24 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 for throwing excreta at prison staff in each of the last 10 years.


Answered by
Robert Buckland Portrait
Robert Buckland
This question was answered on 29th May 2019

In 2017 the Crown Prosecution Service issued guidance that potting offences (throwing of excreta) to the face or head should be prosecuted under Section 24 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

It is not possible to identify court proceedings made for the specific offence of throwing excreta at prison staff from within the broader offence of “Cause administer poison/noxious things with intent to injure/aggrieve/annoy” (nor is it possible to distinguish who was the victim of the offence). Detailed information may be held on court record but to be able to identify these cases we would have to access individual court records which would be of disproportionate cost.

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