Jail Parents for Giving Children Violent Games?

According to the website stuff.co.nz, New Zealand's chief government censor Bill Hastings proposed that parents who give their children violent video games should be prosecuted.

Laws around video games were "an even stricter regime than alchol", because when an adult gives a child aged under 18 access to a restricted video game, even in their own home they are breaking the law, he said.

If someone was to be caught knowingly allowing a child to play restricted video games such as the R-18 Grand Theft Auto series, they could be punished by up to three months of imprisonment or a fine of up to 10 000 dollars while no-one had yet been prosecuted under the law.

Mr Hastings says:

"That's what the law says, but... you're not going to have police officers in everybedroom... There would certainly be some shock value to prosecuting a parent who gives their under-18 child access to a restricted game. It would send out a message that the enforcement agency means business."

More at : http://news.mmosite.com/content/2009-03-10/20090310003231076.shtml
Source: MMOsite News Center