Parents who use children to shoplift ‘should pay’

An organisation representing retailers wants gardaí to charge parents with being accessories to crime if it is believed that they are using their children to shoplift.

Retail Excellence made the call at the Garda Retail Forum held at Garda headquarters in Harcourt Street last week.

“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,” said Lorraine Higgins of Retail Excellence.

“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,” she said.

“As the law stands children under the age of 12 do not have criminal responsibility and parents are utilising this loophole and their children to steal high-end items which they then sell on for profit,” Ms Higgins said.

“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.

“Once there is evidence a crime has been committed and it can be proven the parent orchestrated the illicit activity beyond all reasonable doubt, then that parent should be charged as being an accessory in the theft, end of story.

“It is imperative we break this vicious criminal and anti-social cycle which can only happen through the imposition of deterrents already contained in existing legislation.”

Ms Higgins said that not only is this costing retailers in this country an inordinate amount of money on an annual basis but it is also unsustainable for the industry as a whole.

“Hopefully, this will result in a reduced number of thefts because if the current situation is allowed fester it will cost jobs in the largest private industry employer in this country,” she said.