Susie O’Brien: Jennifer Crumbley involuntary manslaughter conviction sets precedent
The conviction of the mother of a US school shooter shows negligent parents can be held to account. So why should the parents of some of Melbourne’s out of control teen criminals escape consequences?
Susie O'Brien
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Parents who are criminally negligent or abusive should be held responsible for the crimes of their children.
Kids who kill, steal or assault others have often been treated badly by their own parents, so it’s only fair that they, too, are punished.
Sure, there are some bad kids raised by good parents, but the link between youth violent crime and poor parenting is well established.
With youth crime on the rise in Victoria, as elsewhere, more needs to be done to hold parents to account.
A recent US judgement is a welcome move in this direction.
The mother of an American teen who killed four of his classmates has just been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
A Michigan court found Jennifer Crumbley, 45, was negligent in buying her son Ethan, 15, a gun and ignoring the warning signs. These included being aware he had the gun and had recently bought ammunition and failing to get him treatment for mental health issues.
It’s a growing issue of concern in this city, as elsewhere.
Last night, dozens of teens went on a rampage in the CBD, robbing and assaulting passers-by
With youth crime involving kids as young as ten at a nine-year high, more needs to be done.
Like other parents, I’m left wondering what kids that young were doing out at night. What were their parents doing about it? Did they know? Did they care?
While some parents are doing all they can to restrain and punish their out-of-control kids, others simply don’t know and don’t care. These are the ones who need to face greater consequences.
Local laws allow parents to be charged for their child’s crime if they have directly contributed to the offence, but charging parents for their failure to supervise or protect others from their crimes would be another welcome move.
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