NIS News Bulletin THE HAGUE - The Lower House considers that the cabinet treats the misbehaviour of young people from immigrant backgrounds with velvet gloves. A cross-party majority wants to penalise parents if they refuse to accept help in raising their children, but the government does not consider this feasible.

"The youngsters we are talking about are not impressed by our dialogues, pedagogues and lenient community service penalties," was how small Christian party SGP MP Kees van der Staaij worded the dissatisfaction of the House. The MPs pressed for a much tougher approach to "street terror". Only left-wing Green (GroenLinks) MP Marijke Vos considered that this term went too far.

The unscheduled debate was requested by MP Geert Wilders, prompted by incidents in recent months, primarily in Amsterdam, where violence, intimidation, threats and vandalism are frequent. These activities, mostly carried out by young Moroccans and Antilleans, are aimed in particular at Jews, homosexuals and women.

Special attention was paid during the debate to the parents, as they frequently stand aloof from or are unaware of the actions of their children. Some parties claimed that parents sometimes fail to intervene because of their own hatred of Dutch society.

The three coalition parties, the Christian democrats (CDA), conservatives (VVD) and centre-left D66, want the cabinet to produce proposals hitting parents financially if they refuse counselling for their criminal children. But Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner (CDA) warned that it would probably be legally impossible to implement a penalty of this nature.

A proposal for re-educating unmanageable youngsters in boarding-school type facilities in cities will probably also be backed by a majority of MPs. The CDA hopes this will "isolate the small core of problem youngsters who cause trouble". Without the support of others, MP Wilders pressed for the expulsion of young Moroccan criminals to Morocco if they commit three crimes.