In view of the brutality displayed by some juveniles these days, it may be time to seriously re-evaluate our juvenile crime laws. But it is certainly time to enforce the laws already on the books.
Currently, the names of minors charged with or convicted of any crimes are not released to the public. However, the Virgin Islands Code, section 2531, states that the Territorial Court's family division and the V.I. Police Department "shall release the names of minors 14 years and older and their parents, as part of the public record, whenever the minor is adjudicated delinquent for committing an act which would be a felony if committed by an adult.”
That's the law.
In a large community, releasing those names might not make much difference.
Here it could be embarrassing for families and innocent acquaintances of the offenders. It could also protect the public from some of the predators who prey on the uninformed and, therefore, unsuspecting citizenry.
There is a natural and appropriate desire to protect our innocent and even not-so-innocent youth. They are, after all, only children.
But if they choose to behave as felonious adults, then the least we can do is make them and their actions known to the truly innocent public. And making the names of their parents public might eventually lead to more attentive parenting and thus a reduction in the sometimes heinous crimes committed by these “children.”
The public must demand that the courts and the police begin, immediately, to make these names public. We repeat -— it's the law.
