Tearaways - Would It Work Here?
Hi,
Do we need to impliment a scheme like this here in some parts of Australia?. If so, do you think it would be a goer?.
Parents in the Wyre Forest district who fail to keep tearaways under control could be fined £5,000 ($12,500) under a new crackdown on anti-social behaviour. Mothers and fathers could face a parental compensation order if their children aged under 10 steal or cause damage to property. Failure to pay could lead to parents being jailed.
Worcestershire is one of 10 authorities across the country which have been chosen by the Home Office to pilot the scheme. The orders apply to children under 10 who cannot be prosecuted under criminal law. Town halls can only apply for the orders when all other moves to persuade parents to take responsibility for their child’s behaviour have failed. Parents will be summoned to court, where their means will be taken into account before setting the level of compensation.
Courts only have to be persuaded to the civil standard of proof - known as “on the balance of probabilities” - that a child has committed an offence if they were above the age of criminal responsibility. Home Office minister Tony McNulty said: “Children under 10 can cause havoc but they are too young to be prosecuted and their victims can feel powerless.”
Regards
David