{"id":39432,"date":"2026-05-18T05:54:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T05:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/39432\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T05:54:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T05:54:21","slug":"major-youth-justice-crackdown-could-see-parents-face-more-accountability-for-a-childs-crimes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/39432\/","title":{"rendered":"Major youth justice crackdown could see parents face more accountability for a child\u2019s crimes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Your support helps us to tell the story<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 iOIawn\">From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it&#8217;s investigating the financials of Elon Musk&#8217;s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, &#8216;The A Word&#8217;, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 iOIawn\">At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 iOIawn\">The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n<p>Your support makes all the difference.Read more<\/p>\n<p>Parents and guardians could face increased accountability for their children&#8217;s law-breaking under new proposals for the youth justice system. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/politics\/starmer-burnham-reeves-streeting-rayner-labour-leadership-b2977170.html\" title=\"Who could replace Starmer as prime minister? Here are the top contenders for a Labour leadership battle\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy<\/a> is leading a significant overhaul, outlined in a new Youth Justice White Paper published on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>The reforms aim to deter young people from a life of crime by placing greater responsibility on parents and carers whose children commit offences or engage in anti-social behaviour.<\/p>\n<p> A key element of the plan involves strengthening parenting orders. These legal instruments currently allow parents to be mandated into counselling or guidance to address their child&#8217;s conduct, or face financial penalties.<\/p>\n<p>The Ministry of Justice highlighted a dramatic decline in the use of these orders, plummeting from over a thousand in 2009\/10 to just 33 in the last financial year (2022\/23).<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2226895436...jpeg\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"People bring tributes and flowers to lay outside The Atkinson on the first anniversary of the Southport stabbings. Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Bebe King, 6, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, died in the horror attack in July 2025\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/>People bring tributes and flowers to lay outside The Atkinson on the first anniversary of the Southport stabbings. Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Bebe King, 6, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, died in the horror attack in July 2025 (Getty)<\/p>\n<p>According to the Telegraph newspaper, the desire to strengthen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/uk\/home-news\/trust-southport-nhs-ico-people-b2977191.html\" title=\"Southport survivor \u2018devastated\u2019 after NHS staff accessed records without reason\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">parental orders comes in the wake of the inquiry into the Southport stabbings<\/a>, and could result in jail time for parents whose children break the law.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside the greater role for parents, Mr Lammy also plans to pilot new youth intervention courts, which will bring together judges and support services to tackle issues which are drawing young people into crime.<\/p>\n<p>The courts will also supervise young offenders, and give them tailored health and education interventions to help them avoid a life of crime.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Lammy said: \u201cToo many young people are being drawn into crime, with devastating consequences for victims, communities and their own futures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese reforms lay the foundation to intervene far earlier, support families, and tackle the drivers of offending so fewer young people become trapped in cycles of crime, creating safer streets and fewer victims.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere in the plans championed by Mr Lammy are proposals to invest \u00a315.4 million per year in a programme which will help 12,000 children at risk of entering the youth justice system over the next three years.<\/p>\n<p>The White Paper could also lead to the end of people having to disclose criminal convictions from when they were children throughout their lives.<\/p>\n<p>Offences which took place in childhood have hampered the life chances of some people even into their 60s.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Lammy plans to launch a consultation on childhood criminal records which could end the lifelong disclosure requirement.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2275222395.jpg\"  loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Britain's Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/>Britain&#8217;s Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy (AFP\/Getty)<\/p>\n<p>Justice minister Jake Richards said: \u201cPut simply, the youth justice system is not working \u2013 not for children, victims and communities blighted by crime.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese reforms will modernise the system, keep pace with emerging risks and ensure young offenders get the support they need turn their lives around, while improving public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Children\u2019s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said: \u201cAs Children\u2019s Commissioner, I have consistently been clear about the need to reform the youth justice system. We must build an approach that keeps children safe, diverts them from crime wherever possible, and prioritises meaningful behaviour change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEducation is central to this. It is the most powerful tool we have to prevent offending in the first place, and it remains vital for those in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) who have already fallen through the cracks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am therefore pleased to welcome the Youth Justice White Paper published today, and that I have been asked to undertake a review of the education children in YOIs receive, with the aim of improving outcomes and giving these children a better chance for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Conservatives meanwhile cast doubt on the Government\u2019s ability to reform youth justice.<\/p>\n<p>Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, said: \u201cWhatever Labour say today they have already shown they don\u2019t have it in their DNA to be tough on crime.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve let thousands of prisoners early and abolished short term sentences \u2013 so most perpetrators of knife crime who have been sent to prison in the past few years will escape a custodial sentence in future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis goes to show the problem with this government is not Starmer \u2013 it\u2019s Labour. This country needs a strong Conservative government that will back our police, lock up criminals and crack down on crime.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39433,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[20133,20127,6764,173,20131,20128,6355,529,745,20130,368,20132,985,6767,20129,5,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-39432","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uk","8":"tag-axel-rudakubana","9":"tag-child","10":"tag-color-image","11":"tag-england","12":"tag-flower","13":"tag-girls","14":"tag-horizontal","15":"tag-human-interest","16":"tag-knife-crime","17":"tag-large-group-of-people","18":"tag-law","19":"tag-one-year-anniversary","20":"tag-people","21":"tag-photography","22":"tag-southport-england","23":"tag-uk","24":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/116594033509112293","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39432"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39432\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}