Only youth court for 14 and 15 year olds for stabbing and robbery offences
4th May 2016

“What these kids and other like them need is more boundaries and consequences not simply shifting the goal posts.” SST Youth Advocate

A 14 year old boy and 15 year old girl have been arrested and charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent to rob after stabbing their victim in the chest.

They are also charged with aggravated robbery on a separate incident which occurred in the early hours of Friday morning at a petrol station in Massey Auckland.

Sensible sentencing trust Youth Advocate Jess Mcvicar says “Where were these kids’ parents? How on earth can a 14 and 15 year even be in a situation where they could do this?”

“These kids took a knife when they went to meet their victim with the intention of harming him and robbing him, now they are both going to appear in the youth court and have a family conference saying naughty kids, but will they learn their lesson? Will the family actually punish them? I doubt it if they were allowed out roaming the streets to commit these crimes. In all reality their family won’t give a toss."

Sensible sentencing trust are currently wanting to shut down the government’s attempt to raise the age of the youth court to 17 years old, it is currently 16 years old.

Jess says moving the boundaries will not make a difference in youth crime.

“What these kids and other like them need is more boundaries and consequences not simply shifting the goal posts.”
“Why waste more tax payer’s money changing something that will not make a difference?
“I have been told that kids do not know right from wrong in these situations because there brain is not fully functioning.”
“Come on… really! Are we honestly becoming that PC about protecting our criminals that we are going to let these kids get away with this?”

“Their victim is in hospital, he could have been killed and they will get a slap on the wrist and no criminal record, there will be no rehabilitation follow up and there will be no bail conditions."

“If the age of the youth Court is raised kids like this - who have no respect for others property or wellbeing – will continue to offend and be put through the youth system until they are 18 years old. By then it is too late to teach them right from wrong as they are young adults at 18 and have already decided which path their life will take as they were not given the opportunity to be taught another way."

"These kids need a proper punishment and their parents need to be charged with neglect if they are letting their kids roam the streets causing these problems."

Jess said despite what the government says the youth crime rate is increasing with no real action or punishment to follow up on crime like this.
“The government has released a statement saying youth crime rate is at a new low but in reality all they have done is manipulate the figures. Sensible sentencing trust has accused the government of hiding the true figures of youth crime and challenges them to put up the honest and true figures.”

Ends.

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