Children's Court magistrates are being urged to use the full weight of the law against any parents found to have been organising children to commit crime.
The general public has also been encouraged to report any such 'Fagin-like' behaviour to either the Department for Community Development or the Police.
Youth Justice Minister Eric Ripper made the call today after reports that some Western Australian parents were using children younger than ten years old to steal, because they were too young to be held responsible if caught.
Warnings about the organised child gangs, claimed sometimes to be given 'shopping lists' of items to steal, were given yesterday by prominent Children's Court Magistrate Sue Gordon to the Institute of Municipal Management Conference at Observation City.
Mr Ripper said the Child Welfare Act included a so-called 'Fagin clause' under which parents could be charged for contributing to the neglect of a child. Under the Criminal Code, parents could also be charged with aiding and abetting the children in the crime, and could also be made to pay restitution to any victims.
"I will be writing to the President of the Children's Court, Judge Hal Jackson, to urge that these charges be rigorously pursued in appropriate cases, because the ramifications of such behaviour by parents are enormous," the Minister said.
"I will also be instructing the Department for Community Development to contact Magistrate Gordon to see if there is any further information available which could identify families involved.
"Such deranged and evil behaviour is nothing short of child abuse in another form, and has horrendous implications, not only for the children who may come to believe thieving is a legitimate profession, but for society in the long term, which must deal with them when they likely become adult criminals."
Mr Ripper said the fundamental relationship between parents and children was vital for a stable community, and abusing this relationship deserved the strongest condemnation.
"This type of parental misbehaviour, while it may be involve a tiny minority of people, is the antithesis of what the Government, is currently doing in the 'Grow Together' campaign, which aims to build better communication between parents and children. Much has been done in the past 18 months to support parents, and to develop a co-operative partnership between Government and private agencies to reduce juvenile crime, but the positive participation by families and parents, is vital."
