What happens if my child under 18 commits a criminal offence?
In short
The child usually goes before the youth court. The aim is education and repairing the harm rather than punishment. But a young person aged 16 or over can be referred to an adult court for a serious offence.
Video transcript
Your teenage son got mixed up in a crime with his friends. 'He's just a kid, nothing will happen,' you say. It depends: Usually the youth court: the aim is education and repairing harm. But a young person aged 16+ can go to an adult court for a serious crime. The right way: Work with your child to repair the harm, and talk to a lawyer. Family liability insurance matters. Consequences: Youth court: Educational measure; Municipal fine, from 14: Up to 175 €; Traffic offence, 16 – 18: Adult court.
What is not allowed, what is required?
- As a rule, offences committed by under-18s are dealt with by the youth court (jeugdrechtbank / tribunal de la jeunesse). The rules differ between the Flemish and French-speaking communities. In Brussels, which rules apply depends on the situation; ask a lawyer.
- A child under 12 is not held responsible under this system. In Flanders, the child is referred to youth support services; in the French-speaking community, they receive at most a warning (réprimande).
- Priority is given to repairing the harm and mediation (herstelrechtelijk aanbod / offre restauratrice). Measures such as community service can also be imposed.
- A young person who was 16 or over at the time of the offence can, in serious cases, be referred to an adult court (uithandengeving / dessaisissement).
- Traffic offences committed by 16- to 18-year-olds are dealt with by the ordinary (adult) courts.
Penalty and indirect consequences
- Fine / payment
- The youth court does not impose fines but educational measures. From the age of 14, the municipality can impose an administrative fine (GAS / SAC): no more than 175 € for minors.
Legal basis:GAS-wet 24.6.2013, art. 4 §1, 14 §1
- Court / prison
- The youth court does not impose prison sentences, but in serious cases the young person can be placed in a secure youth institution. A young person referred to an adult court is tried as an adult.
Legal basis:Code FWB, art. 125
What really matters: the indirect consequences
- Parents are legally liable for paying the GAS fine
Legal basis:GAS-wet 24.6.2013, art. 14 §2
- In the GAS procedure, a lawyer is assigned to the minor
Legal basis:GAS-wet 24.6.2013, art. 16
- Parents are liable for damage caused by a child under 16; family liability insurance (familiale verzekering / assurance RC familiale) is important
Legal basis:BW Boek 6, art. 6.12 (Kamer DOC 55 3213/012)
What do these terms mean?
- GAS fine
- An administrative fine imposed by the municipality itself. It is not a criminal sentence. The maximum is €500 for adults and €175 for minors. You can appeal within 1 month to the police court (the youth court for minors).
Why does this rule exist?
Young people make mistakes and can change. The system aims to get the young person and their family to take responsibility, to repair the harm and to prevent the young person from reoffending.
Where can you go?
- Violence helplineFlanders 1712 (weekdays 09–18) · Wallonia and Brussels 0800 30 030 (partner violence), 103 (child abuse) · Emergency 112
- Child and family servicesFlanders: Kind en Gezin / Opgroeien · Wallonia and Brussels: ONE
- School guidance centreThe school's CLB / centre PMS
- Social interpreterAt the municipality, the OCMW/CPAS, school and hospital, you can ask for an interpreter in your language; it is often free.
This site does not handle individual cases; it points you to the right service. All help addresses
Source and reliability
Official source- Source check
- 14 / 14 statements in an official source
- Checked: 12.10.2026
- Last checked
- 12.10.2026
- Rules can change
Show the 14 checked statementsopen
- Found in an official source
Gençlik mahkemesi; topluluk düzenlemeleri farklı (Flaman kararnamesi 2019, FWB kodu 18.01.2018)
FWB – Décret portant le code de la prévention, de l'aide à la jeunesse et de la protection de la jeunesse, D. 18-01-2018 - Found in an official source
Flaman decreet betreffende het jeugddelinquentierecht (Vlaams Parlement 06.02.2019; 15.02.2019)
Vlaams Parlement – Decreet betreffende het jeugddelinquentierecht (aangenomen 6 februari 2019) - Corrected according to the source
Brüksel: COCOM ordonnance 16.05.2019 yürürlüğü işbirliği anlaşmasına bağlı; kartta genel ifade
Ordonnantie GGC 16.05.2019 jeugdhulpverlening en jeugdbescherming, md. 95 (Justel: inwerkingtreding onbepaald) - Found in an official source
Flandre: 12 yaş altı çürütülemez sorumsuzluk karinesi; jeugdhulp'a yönlendirme
Decreet jeugddelinquentierecht art. 4 §2 - Found in an official source
FWB: 12 yaş altına yalnız réprimande
FWB Code 2018, art. 109 - Found in an official source
Onarıcı teklif öncelikli; gemeenschapsdienst
Decreet jeugddelinquentierecht art. 3, 29 - Found in an official source
FWB: offre restauratrice öncelikli
FWB Code 2018 - Found in an official source
16+ uithandengeving (Flandre art. 38) / dessaisissement (FWB art. 125)
Decreet jeugddelinquentierecht art. 38 §2; FWB Code art. 125 - Found in an official source
16–18 trafik suçları gemeen recht mahkemelerinde
Decreet jeugddelinquentierecht art. 5; FWB Code (aynı kural) - Found in an official source
GAS 14 yaştan itibaren; küçükler için en fazla 175 €
GAS-wet 24.6.2013, art. 4 §1, 14 §1 - Found in an official source
Kapalı kurumda yerleştirme (FWB régime fermé; Flandre gesloten begeleiding)
Code FWB, art. 125 - Found in an official source
Ebeveyn GAS cezasının ödenmesinden sorumlu
GAS-wet 24.6.2013, art. 14 §2 - Found in an official source
GAS sürecinde küçüğe avukat
GAS-wet 24.6.2013, art. 16 - Found in an official source
16 yaş altı çocuğun zararından ebeveyn sorumlu
BW Boek 6, art. 6.12 (Kamer DOC 55 3213/012)
The checked statements are in Turkish, as in the source text. This check does not replace legal advice.
General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask a lawyer or free legal aid. How was this information prepared?