When should we hold parents legally responsible for heinous acts of children?
A friend and correspondent writes: Surely the legal community that is a major constituency of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle can help us address a seldom-raised issue . How can we — or should we– hold parents responsible when a child commits a heinous act of violence that destroys the lives of others? Is it a basic right of human beings to reproduce unmanageable off-spring that wreak havoc on fellow citizens and expect to face no repercussions?
It has long been an assumption in society that parents suffer enough when one of their children is called to justice, whether it can be proven that the parent has have been negligent, ignorant, or both. With populations exploding on this earth we share, and with stimulation of young minds by degrees of media that no person or institution seems to manage, where does the buck stop?
This columnist would like to hear from readers on this matter.