CHILDREN under 10 are committing hundreds of crimes, including rape and arson without any punishment, the Sunday Herald Sun can reveal.

Leaked statistics - kept hidden by Victoria Police - expose 288 children investigated for 305 serious offences in the past five years.

They include burglary of homes, theft of cars, drugs, weapons and explosives and many more.

But because the suspects are aged under 10, the law states they do not know right from wrong and cannot be charged with any crime.

Frustrated police officers have dubbed the rising perpetrators "The Untouchables".

The alarming figures have only come to light after a seven-month battle with Victoria Police, which claimed it did not keep the data.

The statistics show 254 boys and 34 girls, aged nine and under, were processed for 11 sex crimes, including rape, 36 burglaries, five counts of stealing a motor vehicle, three drug possessions, or using drugs, and three counts of being armed with weapons or explosives.

Police Association spokesman Bruce Mckenzie said such serious crimes were passing "without consequence" and called for the law to be reviewed.

"We are acutely aware of the situation and it is extremely frustrating for our members when more and more young people are committing more and more serious crimes, yet there is no consequence and no deterrent," he said.

Victoria Police initially claimed the children's crime data was not stored.

But a whistleblower leaked the information, saying the situation with young children was out of control, especially in the outer suburbs.

Victoria Police then admitted it had made a mistake and that it did hold the information.

The age of criminal responsibility varies greatly across the world, from six in North Carolina in the US and seven in India, South Africa, Singapore and most of the US, to 17 in France and Poland and 18 in Brazil and Belgium.

The Child Safety Commissioner said children under 10 needed therapy, not punishment.

"Children of that age are in more desperate need of therapy than punishment," Bernie Geary said.

"If we deal with children as young as nine in a punitive way, I would say that is a fairly thoughtless society."

Victoria Police confirmed only warnings could be issued to eight to 10-year-olds, which allowed officers to keep a record of the offence.