Parents liable for children's participation, ₹21 lakh fine for violence: After Milan protests, Giorgia Meloni reads the riot act

Italy on Tuesday approved a tough new security package that makes parents financially liable for vandalism and looting committed by their underage children, following violent protests in Milan and other northern cities. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the government would not treat property destruction as political dissent.

The announcement came after weekend demonstrations in Milan and other northern cities turned violent, with groups of mainly young people smashing shopfronts, looting businesses and clashing with police. She said that the move was aimed at deterring repeat violence, ensuring victims are compensated and making clear that criminal behaviour cannot be justified as activism.

Announcing the decree on Tuesday, Meloni drew a sharp line between peaceful demonstration and violence. “Demonstrating is a right, devastating our cities is not,” she wrote on social media.

She added: “There is nothing revolutionary about vandalising and stealing. Vandalism and theft are not protests, they are criminality.”

The measures were unveiled after weekend demonstrations saw groups of mainly young people smash shopfronts, loot businesses and clash with police in Milan and other cities.

Parents To Pay For Damage

Under the new rules, parents will be held financially responsible if their minor children are found to have taken part in vandalism or looting. Authorities can order prompt compensation for damage caused to public or private property.

Meloni explained the principle behind the move: “We apply a simple principle: whoever breaks something pays, and if the person who breaks it is a minor, their parents pay.”

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said that where a child is not criminally liable, parents may face an administrative penalty of 500 to 1,000 euros, which can be doubled for repeat offences. The prefect can also order compensation for damage to state, regional or local public property, while a simplified procedure may be used for damage to private individuals.

Harsher Penalties For Rioters

The decree creates a new offence of violent participation in a demonstration. Meloni said anyone who joins a group of five or more people and throws stones, firecrackers or sticks, endangering public safety, could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 20,000 euros (₹21,22,940).

Penalties will be higher for masked protesters, those who injure someone, and those who cause destruction as part of a group.

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Tighter Rules For Minors

The government has also expanded police powers over minors. The decree allows pre-trial detention for minors and presumes that people aged 14 and above are capable of understanding their actions, unless proven otherwise.
Meloni said the large number of young rioters was “painful and frightening.” She added: “Young people … came to the square to smash things, steal and film themselves doing it.”

“This is a phenomenon that we must address seriously, also to prevent those images from becoming a model for others to imitate,” she said.

What Happens Next

The decree must be converted into law by Parliament within 60 days. The government has also ordered an additional 500 soldiers to be deployed in Milan until the end of the year as part of the security response.

Meloni’s government has framed the package as a firm state response to urban violence, while critics are likely to scrutinise its impact on the right to protest and the legal treatment of minors.

(€1= ₹106.15 at the time of writing this story)