Despite Filipo’s Chilling Act of Violence he gets Credit for being a Youth
2nd November 2016
Losi Filipo has been sentenced to nine months supervision for assaulting four people, including two women, and has been
ordered to do alcohol counselling and a living without violence course. Judge Collins said himself that Filipo stomping
on the victim's head was a "chilling act of violence", but then said he was entitled to credit due to his youth.
“What does this say of our justice system?” Said an incredulous Sensible Sentencing Trust’s Youth Advocate Jess McVicar
“Filipo committed an horrific and extremely vicious attack on 4 innocent people. They have to live with the memory of
that appalling attack and the injuries inflicted on them for the rest of their lives. Meanwhile Filipo gets credit for
being a youth!”
The Sensible Sentencing Trust believes this sentence does not reflect the severity of the crime and has not taken into
account the impact it has had on the victims. Filipo will still get to carry on with his life as normal. “This shows the
public exactly what will happen in the Youth Justice system if the age is raised; you get a bonus for being a youth!”
Jess McVicar
Lobby groups asking for the ages of youth to be raised in the Youth Justice system are saying if youth go through the
adult court they go to prison, but Jess said the Losi Filipo sentencing is a prime example of showing the complete
opposite happening. “Filipo has had a supervisory sentence and counselling imposed for a vicious attack that could have
killed someone. So if a youth commits a burglary in a home, or steals a car, they are not going to have a prison
sentence imposed, given the outcome of this case are they?”
The Sensible Sentencing Trust believes rehabilitation courses were a good start, but said they should have been ordered
right at the beginning. Reparation of $1,000 for the victims does not send a strong message of deterrence and is a
pittance that we doubt even covered the victims’ expenses.
If Filipo’s case was dealt with in the Youth Justice system, the chances are high the most that would have happened to
FilIpo is he would have had to attend a Family Group Conference (FGC), meaning the victims would have had to have come
face to face with their attacker. At the end of the day this would have led to a discharge, with no record or
conviction.
Jess says she wonders how we have got into this position where just because you are a youth offender, you now get a pat
on the back, rather than being held accountable for your actions. The Government is currently looking at a bill to raise
the age of youth dealt with in the Youth Justice system and Jess says NO! Rather than increase the age of the youth, we
need to ask Parliament to introduce a fully transparent Youth Justice system that holds young offenders and their
parents/caregivers fully accountable for their actions.
The Sensible Sentencing Trust has set up a petition to reflect this and we ask you to click on the attached link below,
sign the petition and have your say. Youth need direction, they need to be shown right from wrong, and they need to be
told that there will always be consequences for their actions. Together we can make a difference and stop this PC
lunacy! ENDS
ends