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Under 12s should face charges: police chief

Tuesday 16 June 2009

Children under the age of 12 should face prosecution if they break the law, Gouda police chief Joep Pattijn is quoted as saying by the Volkskrant on Tuesday.

'We are going to face major problems if we cannot tackle this group in the future,' Pattijn told a news conference. For example, boys as young as 10 have been involved in threatening emergency service workers, he said.

The age of criminal responsibility in the Netherlands is currently 12.

The police department Hollands-Midden, which includes Gouda has drawn up a list of 657 known troublemakers in the region who are the focus of special police attention.

For example, people close to the top of the list are sent a card on their birthday with the phrase 'we've got our eyes on you'. This is a process of being a 'nuisance to those who cause nuisance,' Pattijn said. Most of those on the list are aged 12 to 24, while 45 are under the age of 12.

Last year Gouda's Oosterwei district became a national symbol of the nuisance caused by street gangs, largely dominated by ethnic minority youths. This led to anti-immigration MP Geert Wilders calling for the army to be withdrawn from Afghanistan and sent in to Gouda.

© DutchNews.nl


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Readers' comments

Not only should the youth be prosecuted, so should their parents because they aren't raising their children like the should or keeping an eye on them.

By lb | June 16, 2009 3:03 PM


"To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself once in a while" Some parents are themselves the main factor for their children problematic behavior. They should Train up their child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it .
Is parents guiding principles working? I think it is hard time couple are given basic child upbringing before allow to be given birth. some want to push every upbring on teachers but that cant be ..

By kwabena | June 16, 2009 3:19 PM


Wow - Here in the Uk were going the other way (We reduced the Age of Innocence down to 10 after two kids (11) killed another one for sport in the nineties) We're now talking of upping it to 14

By TAD | June 18, 2009 4:26 PM


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