Just Speak Comments Insult to Law Abiding Youth - SST

SST says Just Speak have laid a huge insult to our well behaving youth by saying their brain is not fully functioning at 17.

Cabinet are making a call to up the age of youth court to 17. The current system cut off is 16 and any offenders above that are to be treated in the adult court system.

Just Speak are pushing for this change saying at 17 the brain is not fully functioning so they don't know when they are making a mistake. Just Speak in fact that would like to make the youth court age 25.

Jess Mcvicar of the Sensible Sentencing trust says, "What an absolute insult to law-abiding youth who are by the majority. There are a lot of youth out there that at 17 are making amazing achievements, they are trying to make a difference, they are starting to make important career decisions. You can not tell me that at 17 if you attack someone, rob someone's house or steel their car that they did not know they were making a mistake , that they didn't know they were breaking the law!"

"Putting the age of youth court up to 17 is just giving the troubled youth more of an opportunity to offend - they committed the crime in the first place, they need to be accountable for their actions, they don't care for their victims feelings."

Just speak says there is research to show that there is a less reoffending rate when that youth is that of a mature age if they go through the Youth Courts
But Jess says the youth court is closed and the statistics are not available legally. "If an offender goes through the youth court they do not get a criminal record so how an earth can Just Speak say they know this is fact?

"If someone offends at 17 and goes through the youth court and reoffends at 18 they don't have a previous record so of course it looks like a first time offence.
“We need to stop making excuses and telling our youth that they can't think for themselves because that's what science says.!”

‘Everybody needs to be held accountable for there actions , by the time a troubled youth is 17 they have already committed a number of crimes so they have no respect for the justice system - so by being tried in the adult court they can get a taste of what is like to have consequences for their actions and hopefully make a change and stay out of trouble.”

“This is once again a kick in the face to victims because if this change goes ahead basically it will just be saying that we are a criminal sided country and will continue to make excuses.”

Jess said she is personally insulted by Just Speaks comment that at 17 her brain wouldn't have been fully developed , Jess says at 17 she had a full time job beginning her career.

"If this request goes through ,the likes of offenders such as Hendrix Hauwai will be held in youth court and be subject to a family conference with their family and the victim."

Hendrix was the attacker of Good Samaritan Lucy Knight, Lucy ended up in hospital with a fractured skull after trying to stop Hendrix from bag snatching an innocent victim on the street.

Jess says this is a perfect example of why the age should not be changed “ If Hendrix was held in youth court because he was 17 at the time of the attack he would be walking the streets with not a worry in world because he would not have got a criminal record , while Lucy was lying in her hospital bed fighting for her life, Lucy wouldn't have even been able to attend the Family conference."

ENDS

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