Meloni government clamps down on juvenile crime, youth distress

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has decided to introduce urgent measures to combat juvenile delinquency, distress among young people and poor educational facilities in response to serious new cases involving youth.

This was decided on Wednesday at a preparatory meeting for the Council of Ministers, scheduled for Thursday morning.

Following several cases of crimes committed by minors to the detriment of minors, including rape and murder, Meloni’s government decided to intervene.

“Young people who wield weapons and use them for futile reasons, without any respect for the lives of others. These are very serious episodes, and the reasons for such insane violence are incomprehensible”, said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi as he commented on the case of a young musician killed in the street during an argument over a parking space.

Among the measures sought by the Meloni government is an increase in urban police forces to reduce violence and “restore legality throughout the country”, echoing the police raid early Tuesday that reclaimed a tough neighbourhood where a group of minors recently raped two little girls.

The government’s plan also strongly emphasises education and prevention, through investment in sports facilities in deprived areas, re-education and reintegration pathways that involve doing socially useful work, and community service.

According to a draft decree law, juveniles as young as 14 years old can be subject to a warning procedure by the police commissioner, and the responsible parent can be fined between €200 and €1,000 unless it is established that the juvenile could not have been prevented from committing the offence.

Particular attention is paid to school education, in which Italy invests much less than other EU countries.

Public expenditure on tertiary education (8% of total expenditure) represents half of the EU average (16%).

By comparison, expenditure on pre-primary and primary education (36%) and secondary education (47%) is higher than the EU average of 33% and 39% respectively.

In addition to a fund aimed at preventing premature school drop-outs and €31 million earmarked over three years for schools in southern Italy, the draft decree-law provides for parents to be jailed for up to two years if a child fails to attend compulsory schooling without a valid reason.

(Federica Pascale | EURACTIV.it)