Draft law on criminal responsibility for minors: President Meloni’s video message

Today, the Government approved a draft law to change the rules on criminal responsibility for minors.

I would like to explain what changes, and why.

I’ll start from a principle we are trying to assert in all areas: anyone who commits assault, robbery or vandalism must pay. Always. Even if they’re 15 or 16 years old. This is why we have taken action and continue to take action: arrest for minors caught with a weapon; strict measures against the spread of knives; harsher penalties for group vandalism. Today, we’ve taken a step further.

According to our current legal system, a minor aged between 14 and 18 can only be held accountable for an offence if the court finds he or she had criminal capacity. With this piece of legislation, it is instead always presumed that the individual has criminal capacity. This means that it remains possible to prove otherwise before the court, but the starting point is different: before, there was a presumption of incapacity; now, there is a presumption of responsibility. 

This measure above all targets those who believe they are untouchable, exploiting minors to carry out their dealings for them. However, it also serves to punish young people who think they can do whatever they want because they know that nothing will happen to them anyway. 

This regulation alone will clearly not solve the problem, and we are not saying that we should only be speaking in terms of repression when it comes to the very young. This piece of legislation forms part of a much more difficult, and often silent, process.

A 15- or 16-year-old who becomes violent or commits crimes almost never gets to that point alone. There is very often a family that has forgotten them, a school that has lost touch, a neighbourhood where there is nothing to do in the evening, an adult who has taken advantage of the void. Filling that void takes a lot of work: providing support for families, schools, training, jobs, sports centres and places to meet up as well as combatting urban decline and ensuring a police presence in the most challenging areas.

We are working on all these fronts, because it’s all interconnected. Being firm isn’t enough without providing alternatives, but providing alternatives without being firm does not solve the problem. We’re starting to see some results, which is why we want to push ahead.

A fair State has the courage to change the rules when they don’t work. It also has the duty to be strict with those who make mistakes, but also to be there for those who risk becoming lost. For there is no real freedom without responsibility. 

[Courtesy translation]

Lingua
Inglese

Tipologia Pagina: 
Intervento

Codice video Youtube: 
GT-yaAXX-vM

Press conference following Council of Ministers meeting no. 182

Tipologia intervento: 
Intervento

[This video is available in Italian only]

Sottotitoli in inglese: 

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