It's an odd discussion over criminality in Germany.
In general, and with relations to the law....from age fourteen on, you will be treated like a juvenile 'offender' if charged up with a crime. It means you go to youth-jail for a short period, and then forced into some behavior rehab deal (run by the local social office). It's not big-time situation, but it's enough to satisfy the general public.
Well, in the past year in Germany....some crimes have been noted by youth less than fourteen years old. Their path is generally a strong talking session with a judge and enforced social office visits upon the parents to be 'responsible'. Well....the public is now suggesting that they want the youth-jail situation and rehab deal, extended down to 12-year old kids.
For the politicians and judges, it's probably a bit of a shocker that the public is suggesting this.
What's going on?
I think most older Germans would go and discuss how things were before the Wall came down, and they'd go and suggest that unacceptable behavior is now being noted....mostly with young males (yes, down to the ages of 12-to-14 years old). In some urbanized areas (like Dusseldorf, Hamburg, etc), this is expanding.
Part of this blame probably goes to marginal parenting skills, and part of it goes to society practices of just not enforcing the law and expectations upon young juveniles. Some of it involves social office behavior where they slack-off on problems, until they rise to major problems.
Will the juvenile age thing be lowered? I expect a state or two in Germany to take this action, and the rest will probably take the action within the next decade.
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