Youth Offending debate misguided – media ‘Trumped’ again

30th November 2016

As the furore over a youth offender having been held in police cells rages a Victim Advocacy organisation says the debate is badly misguided.

Sensible Sentencing Founder, Garth McVicar says the real debate should not be where an offender who has committed crime is held, but why New Zealand has such a high number of youth committing crime in the first place.

“Sadly I note the media and others have jumped on the issue of how cruel and inhumane it is that a young offender was held in police cells rather than taking the opportunity to instigate a serious debate around the level and reason so many young people are committing crime.”

“The media surely have a responsibility to present a balanced and factual evaluation of the problem but once again it appears many of our leading media organisations have been ‘Trumped’ and are instead presenting a biased very much one-sided view.”

McVicar’s comments come after Christchurch's Justice Robert Murfitt says he was forced to remand a 15-year-old boy in solitary confinement for nearly a week due to the lack of appropriate facilities.

Children’s Commissioner, Andrew Becroft has also waded into the furore saying the situation was"unacceptable" and he is demanding change and is renewing his call to increase the age of youth justice.

McVicar said thousands of innocent law abiding citizens are being intimidated and victimised every year by young criminals.

“I am appalled that people who have first-hand knowledge as to what the real problem is are instead focussing on where these young thugs should be housed or increasing the youth justice age rather than instigating a serious debate to expose the real source of the problem.”

“Rather than where we house these young criminals or tinkering with the age of youth justice the real issue should be why does New Zealand have such a high rate of youth offending in the first place?” ENDS

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/real-risk-self-harm-and-suicide-fears-over-holding-young-offenders-in-solitary-confinement

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/86951169/christchurch-judge-accuses-government-of-breaching-childs-rights

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