Mother groomed her children to steal

A mother coached her three young daughters to steal clothing in what police say is one of the worst shoplifting cases they have seen.

Retailers say the case highlights the fact some parents are breeding a generation of shoplifters who know they will escape punishment because of their young age.

The 32-year-old woman from the Western Bay of Plenty pleaded guilty in Tauranga District Court this week to stealing $137.62 in clothing from The Warehouse at Fraser Cove.

The court was told that on September 12, the Katikati woman - who the Bay of Plenty Times has decided not to name to protect the children's identities - went into the store's changing rooms and passed her daughters, aged 11, 12 and 13, items of clothing.

She then helped them remove the labels and made them put the clothing on under what they were wearing.

The mother and her children walked past the checkouts without paying but were stopped by security and police waiting outside the front door where the woman denied any knowledge of the stolen clothing being on her children.

When searched, two of the children had three layers of stolen property under their clothes - the price tags were found in the changing rooms.

Their mother insisted she had no knowledge of the offences or control over her children and told police her children were always stealing from stores.

The Bay of Plenty Times learned the family had allegedly targeted another Warehouse store in Tauranga and K-Mart at Bayfair just weeks earlier so store security at Fraser Cove already had photos of them and a warning to be on alert.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Wayne Hunter said it was one of the worst shoplifting cases he had dealt with in his 12 years as a prosecutor.

But he said: "It is not uncommon for parents to give children things to put in their pockets or put things in their baby pram but I have never seen anything like this before where someone goes to such a great extent to use their children to commit crimes in this way. It's disgusting."

Mr Hunter was concerned for the welfare of the children, who had been referred to Child, Youth and Family.

"Her kids just haven't got a show of not turning out to be criminals unless something is done," he said.

Common ploy

Retailers say shoplifters in the Bay are getting younger and parents using their children was a common ploy.

Fraser Cove Warehouse manager Daniel Prew said: "We can all be morally outraged but the biggest thing to me is this mother is definitely breeding a new generation of shoplifters, who are well informed of their rights and know they can't be charged because of their ages," Mr Prew said.

The undercover security woman who nabbed the Katikati family said at least half of all shoplifters were young people stealing to order for gangs or being coached by their parents.

"It's disgusting and sad how people can train their own children to do things like this. They are not being good role models for their kids and they are also getting their children into huge trouble."

Fraser Cove centre manager Marie Mischewski said: "In my 20 years working in shopping malls I have seen it all. I know of people who use their children as decoys, or get their children to watch out for store security while they steal the items.

"Some parents get their children to cause a scene in the store as a distraction or place the items on their children or in the pram or baby bag," she said.

Bayfair Shopping Centre manager Anne Clarke said parents were not shy about using their children to steal to order but the children were streetwise enough to know they were doing wrong once they were 6-7 years of age.

In court this week, Community Magistrate Robyn Paterson told the Katikati woman: "it is highly likely you are training them beautifully to end up here, unless you stop doing this".

The woman has been remanded on bail until sentencing on November 8.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES