12 hours ago
Should parents take a fall for their children's crimes?
JOHANNESBURG - A 12-year-old child in Brakpan, on the East Rand is alleged to have stolen his parent's car, ran a stop sign, and killed a 14-year-old pedestrian, before crashing into a house wall.
The child has since been taken into custody, accompanied by his guardian.
In South Africa, children can be held criminally responsible for their actions.
According to the Child Justice Act, children aged 12 and older are considered to have the capacity to commit a crime and may face prosecution.
South African common law further states that parents are generally not held liable for crimes committed by their children, unless it can be proven that the parents used the child as a tool to commit the crime.
Typically, children who commit crimes are sent to juvenile detention facilities focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment.
This tragic incident has sparked public debate: Who should be held accountable, the parent or the child?
South Africans have mixed reactions to this.
Some believe children must take responsibility for their own actions, especially if they are of prosecutable age.
Others argue that parents should bear responsibility.
@JacksShongwe says, 'Accountability should be shared. Minors must take age-appropriate responsibility for their actions, but parents also play a crucial role, as their guidance, supervision, and environment significantly influence a child's behaviour. Each case should be assessed individually'.
@TashyRR says, 'This should be based on the crime & circumstances involved but if they are teens then majority of crimes can be understood by the teen him/herself in which case I'd say juvenile court can try them out as individuals with their parents/guardians as onlookers'.
@NoozBebe_ says, 'This needs to be on a case by case basis. There are many homes where the parents work far from home and are never there to guide their children on weekdays. These kids sometimes fall into the hands of wayward adults who teach them and employ them to do their dirty work. In each case, the kids will lead you to the bad adult. There's always a bad adult behind every kid's crime'.
