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| Parent fines for under-10s' crime | Parent fines for under-10s' crime |
| (6 days later) | |
| Parents of under-10s who steal, damage or destroy property could be fined £5,000 under a government crackdown. | Parents of under-10s who steal, damage or destroy property could be fined £5,000 under a government crackdown. |
| In a pilot scheme, 10 local authorities in England are introducing Parental Compensation Orders under the 2005 Serious Organised Crime and Police Act. | In a pilot scheme, 10 local authorities in England are introducing Parental Compensation Orders under the 2005 Serious Organised Crime and Police Act. |
| Town halls will apply for the orders when all other moves to persuade parents to take responsibility fail. | Town halls will apply for the orders when all other moves to persuade parents to take responsibility fail. |
| Parents failing to pay could be jailed. Offenders above the age of 10 can be fined in their own right. | Parents failing to pay could be jailed. Offenders above the age of 10 can be fined in their own right. |
| The orders - to compensate for financial loss - can be made against one or more parent, carer or guardian. | The orders - to compensate for financial loss - can be made against one or more parent, carer or guardian. |
| They will be summonsed to court, where their means and circumstances will be taken into account before the level of compensation is set. | They will be summonsed to court, where their means and circumstances will be taken into account before the level of compensation is set. |
| Courts only have to be persuaded to the civil standard of proof - "on the balance of probabilities" - that a child has committed what would be an offence if they were above the age of criminal responsibility. | Courts only have to be persuaded to the civil standard of proof - "on the balance of probabilities" - that a child has committed what would be an offence if they were above the age of criminal responsibility. |
| Children under 10 can cause havoc... and their victims can feel powerless Home Office Minister Tony McNulty | Children under 10 can cause havoc... and their victims can feel powerless Home Office Minister Tony McNulty |
| The 10 pilot areas are Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Gateshead and South Tyneside, Leicester, York and the London boroughs of Southwark and Wandsworth. | The 10 pilot areas are Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Gateshead and South Tyneside, Leicester, York and the London boroughs of Southwark and Wandsworth. |
| The legislation prevents orders being brought against children in local authority care, and ministers believe they should not be imposed on foster parents. | The legislation prevents orders being brought against children in local authority care, and ministers believe they should not be imposed on foster parents. |
| Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said: "Children under 10 can cause havoc... and their victims can feel powerless. | Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said: "Children under 10 can cause havoc... and their victims can feel powerless. |
| "Most parents take this seriously, but a minority do not make the effort and even just sit back while their children run wild. We will not tolerate this. | "Most parents take this seriously, but a minority do not make the effort and even just sit back while their children run wild. We will not tolerate this. |
| "Parents play a key role in children becoming responsible citizens. | "Parents play a key role in children becoming responsible citizens. |
| "Parental Compensation Orders go hand-in-hand with intervention and support programmes to address the problems underlying the behaviour, making our communities more pleasant places to live for everyone." | "Parental Compensation Orders go hand-in-hand with intervention and support programmes to address the problems underlying the behaviour, making our communities more pleasant places to live for everyone." |