Juvenile crime is high on the government’s agenda after several recent cases that shocked the nation, including the rape of two cousins aged 10 and 12 in Caivano near Naples by a gang of youths.
On Thursday the cabinet approved the decree that aims to address the problem through a range of measures including, according to sources, tougher penalties for the parents of minors of compulsory school age caught truanting, DASPO bans and the possibility of arresting parents of children that persistently offend.
Contrary to earlier reports, it will not include a possible ban on young people convicted of certain crimes involving violence, weapons or drugs from possessing a mobile phone.
Juvenile offenders must pay for their crimes, but they must also always be given the possibility of redeeming themselves through re-education, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani ahead of the cabinet meeting.
ANSA
