Petty Theft: Is It Punishable by Imprisonment?

Based on Clause 34 Article 1 of the Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code 2017, stipulating the Crime of Theft of Property as follows:

Anyone who steals the property of another person valued from VND 2,000,000 to less than VND 50,000,000, or less than VND 2,000,000 but falls under one of the following cases, shall be subject to non-custodial reform for up to 3 years or imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years:

- Has been administratively sanctioned for acts of property appropriation but continues to violate;

- Has been convicted of this crime or one of the crimes specified in Articles 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 174, 175, and 290 of this Code, has not had the conviction expunged but continues to commit violations;

- Causes adverse effects on security, order, and social safety;

- The property is the main means of livelihood for the victim and their family;

- The property is an heirloom, antique.

- ...

Thus, based on the above regulation, stealing property valued over VND 2 million will be criminally prosecuted, or under VND 2 million can still be criminally prosecuted if the individual has previously been administratively sanctioned or causes adverse effects on security, society, etc.

In your case, your child stole 3 umbrellas; since it is not yet possible to determine the value of this property, and it is also unclear from your provided information whether your child has previously been administratively sanctioned under the above regulation, it cannot be concluded definitively. Therefore, you can refer to the above regulation and compare it with your child's situation for consideration.

Sincerely!