Retail Excellence has raised the need for charges to be brought against parents who 'use their children to shoplift' at the Garda Retail Forum, which was held at Garda Headquarters in Harcourt Street last week.
Speaking on behalf of Retail Excellence Lorraine Higgins said “Many of our retailers have reported a rise in the number of unscrupulous parents who are using their children to rob and pilfer high end items so they can sell these items on for profit. And we are not talking about situations where children mistakenly take items. We are talking about organised criminal activity which has been fully orchestrated by a parent”.
Higgins also outlined that as the law stands children under the age of 12 do not have criminal responsibility and 'parents are utilizing this loophole and their children to steal high end items which they then sell on for profit.'
"The failure to charge or prosecute the parent as an accessory in a crime is ensuring that the illicit business continues without any penal action being taken”. She said.
© 2017 - Checkout Magazine by Donna Ahern
