judicial
Parents to face fines for kids’ criminal activity
| DAVID MESA/LA PRENSA |
|
|
| No safe haven:A bullet hole in a church window is one indicator of the violent behavior that has recently left 37 dead in Panama.975395 |
Responding to a wave of teen violence, police will be fining parents for the criminal activities of their children.
That decision was announced ysterday after a meeting among Ministro de Gobierno y Justicia Severino Mejía, Attorney General Ana Matilde Gómez, Panama City Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro, Policía Nacional Director Rolando Mirones and the Arzobispo Metropolitano Dimas Cedeño.
Mejía said that parents who do not have the money to pay the fine will "have to sweep the streets."
The announcement was met with harsh criticism.
"This is crazy," the former director of the Policía Técnica Judicial Jaime Jácome said. "This is a folly."
Former Ministro de Gobierno Alejandro Pérez said the decision was "ridiculous."
"We are talking about murders being committed," he said. "They should face 20 years in prison, not a fine."
There have been 37 murders so far this year. Police think some of them may have been committed by teens.
Yesterday's meeting was called by Navarro after one of his bodyguards was shot and killed Thursday. That followed on the heels of the kidnapping of the son of a Tribunal Electoral judge Monday.
Also this week, a 16-year-old put a gun to the head of a bus driver and pulled the trigger twice, but the weapon failed to discharge. That teen was arrested.
Two shootings were reported in Calidonia yesterday and there was also a fatal shooting in Curundú.
Navarro, who was clearly shaken by the death of his bodyguard, said the laws should be changed so that young offenders can face longer prison sentences.
"They are the worst kind and should go to jail for the longest period possible," Navarro said.
But Gómez said that public policy should not be dictated by emotions.
"As a country, we can not be reactive and try to transform public policy because something happened to us," she said.
|
