The Island’s Youth Court has taken the step of making adults answerable to the authorities for the actions of their child.
The move follows the news that the Youth Court has this month dealt with a record number of cases.At the beginning of the year, Magistrate Ian Le Marquand wanted the Youth Panel to discuss the possibility of fining the parents of persistent offenders in certain circumstances, and after much consultation, they have agreed to bring the penalty into force.However, fines will be imposed only on those parents who are unwilling to control their misbehaving children.
Those who are genuinely not able to control them will not be held responsible.’We are now operating a scheme whereby we will remand children on good behaviour and their parents will be held responsible,’ said Mr Le Marquand.
‘If that fails, it will be the parents who will be in trouble.’It’s no good having a situation in which parents who are genuinely unable to control their children are fined.
It has to be those parents who are not interested who are punished.’Mr Le Marquand said he was disappointed at the latest figures, which show more children in one month appearing before the Youth Court than in any single month before.
‘I thought we were seeing a downward trend in the number of cases we are dealing with, but there appears to be a new set of persistent young offenders coming through, which is very sad,’ said Mr Le Marquand.’Although I don’t think this will be the busiest year, October was certainly the busiest month ever.
We have 29 persistent offenders who are either in youth custody, currently in the court system or have been sentenced in the last three months.’
