Hit teen gangs by punishing parents says justice official

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 14 - The teen gangs wreaking havoc across Italy should be hit by targeting their parents with the loss of their welfare cheques, Justice Undersecretary Andrea Ostellari said Monday.
    Italy has been hit by a wave of violence by teenage gangs, often made up of foreigners, in city outskirts and city centres from Milan to Naples.
    Speaking on Italian TV, Ostellari said the 'single cheque' universal credit welfare benefit or the 'citizenship wage' basic income should be suspended for the gang members' parents.
    He said the government would shortly submit a bill to parliament targetting the gangs and their parents in this way.
    He said that under current law the only punishments for teen gangsters were being reported to their parents if they are under 14 and being made to do socially useful work if they are 14-18 years of age.
    "Justice in our country is still considered a cost and not a resource, we must change paradigm and vision and invest in staff and magistrates; only in this way will we be able to change the system," Ostellari told the Dire Donna Oggi programme. (ANSA).