Videos depicting acts of violence and harassment, primarily between young people, are circulating more and more on social media. Is this indicative of an increase in teen delinquency?

A joint commission meeting on "Justice, National Education and Internal Security" took place on Wednesday, covering the topic of violence among young people.

The commission was convened at the request of the ADR party, which cited a "resurgence" of cases depicting juvenile violence in recent months. Both the ADR and the CSV have tabled parliamentary questions on the topic recently.

The Ministers of Education, Justice and Internal Security were present at the meeting, as well as representatives of the prosecution and the police, in order to explain the situation on the ground to MPs present.

The "17" gang

A number of videos have been circulating on social media, depicting acts of violence, harassment and fights between teenagers. Several youth gangs are thought to be involved, with one standing out as particularly violent: the so-called "17" gang.
ADR MP Fred Keup said:

"We have a problem here with a number of gangs of 12-14 year-olds. They do serious things, cause serious injuries. [...] Parents have to send their children to school abroad: in Belgium, Germany and Portugal. Several cases have been reported to us. [...] There is simply nothing to control these people. The representatives of the police, the police union and the judiciary have confirmed this. UNISEC (the Dreiborn Security Unit) is simply far too small."

ADR MP Roy Reding said requests for figures had been filed many times. How many of these gangs are there? How many cases? How many minors are considered perpetrators of violence? The prosecutor's office provided data on Wednesday.

"2,200 charges are drawn up per year, with 1,469 reports. But that includes victims of child abuse. The prosecutor's office told us there are at least six large groups, including this Bloc 17, who run rampant at the moment."

It is not known how many members the gangs have, although it is estimated that "Bloc 17" has around forty teenagers associated with its activities. Reding called it a "worrying phenomenon".
However, Minister of Justice Sam Tanson noted that the juvenile crime rate remains stable. The number of reports has increased, she said, but pointed out this was a positive development as it showed awareness that acts of violence should be reported.

The perpetrators' age - often between 12 and 14 years old - is a fundamental issue, however. The bill on the introduction of criminal law for minors and the bill on the protection of minors, which are still awaiting the opinion of the Council of State, will put Luxembourg on the same path as Austria, specified Tanson.

Minors under 14 will not be convicted

Tanson clarified:
"For example, in Austria, a minor is not sentenced if they are under 14 years old. So other measures come into play. And that is also what is planned here. (...) It is not possible is that a minor, who is liable to a sanction, whatever his age, is not followed. And that is absolutely indisputable. Follow-up will always be provided for. Whether this comes under the protection of minors or in criminal terms."

Another challenge in youth crime is the issue of accountability. Often the crimes do not occur at school, but on the way to school or right next to the school campus.

Minister of Education Claude Meisch said schools were not required to investigate crimes outside of school grounds, although they were responsible for reporting crime at school to judicial authorities. "Above all, schools have a preventative task", he added.

Henri Kox, the Minister for Internal Security, said it was vital for people to continue reporting occurrences to police. Victims, such as concerned students and their parents, could not allow fear to prevent them from taking action, as it could lead to further harassment. Exposing the facts is essential, according to the minister.