Fall In Children Killed In UK

4 February 2010, 12:37 | Updated: 4 February 2010, 12:46

The number of children violently killed in the UK has dropped by almost 40 percent in 30 years.

That is according to a study by Bournemouth University, which shows between 1974 and 2006, the annual number of children under the age of 14 killed fell from 136 to 84.

As a proportion of the child population, the death rate nearly halved from 32 to 17 per million children - the fourth lowest in the western world,

The reduction is being put down to better monitoring by social workers, and the police and doctors working together more closely.

Professor Colin Pritchard, from the university's school of health and social care said: "Thirty years ago England and Wales were the third or fourth highest child killers in the Western world, but we're now fourth lowest.

"There's been a gradual decline in these terrible events.''

The study examined nine other major developed countries, with most showing similar reductions. Spain had the lowest violent death rate, at four deaths per million children, with Italy on five. The United States' figure was highest at 47 deaths per million, with Germany second highest at 21.