Parents of minors who caused damage to the Bogota transport system during recent protests will be ordered to pay up to $23,000 in compensation.
The commander of Bogota’s Metropolitan Police Luis Eduardo Martinez told Colombian news agency Caracol Radio, “Parents are [legally] responsible for the actions of their children who are minors.” Therefore the fines will be sent directly to the parents of the accused.
Martinez said they are seeking legal strategies that will set a strong precedent to avoid a reccurrence of such an incident, which interrupted the daily routine of millions in the nation’s capital.
Colombian law provides harsh penalties for those who interrupt public transport systems. The 2011 Public Safety Act states that those who damage public infrastructure face four to eight years in prison. A sentence of up to seven years can be issued to those who use, send or throw a dangerous object against a public building or transport vehicle.
The acts vandalism against the Transmilenio have cost the city more than half a million dollars. Police have launched several investigations into the identities of those involved, including appealing to the public for photographs of the vandals.