A 12-YEAR-OLD Seaford boy charged with armed robbery and assault, after allegedly setting a girl’s hair on fire while bashing and stealing her phone, has been bailed again by the same magistrate who warned him at his previous court appearance that he was on his “last, last chance”.
The attack on the 15-year-old girl at a Frankston skate park, 9pm, Friday 5 August, sickened even seasoned detectives as the accused and six alleged co-offenders had lured the girl to the park on the pretext of being her friend.
There they intimidated her before allegedly attacking her with the cigarette lighter, punching her in the face and kicking her in the face and body. While the girl was on the ground the boy allegedly stole her bag and mobile phone (‘Attackers set girl’s hair on fire’, The Times 15/8/16).
The girl managed to run home and tell her parents who called police. She was taken to Frankston Hospital with a fractured right hand, swelling and bruising to her face and body and singed hair.
The detective investigating the case said the boy had already faced children’s courts on six previous occasions for similar offences and “couldn’t care less about consequences because there are none”.
He is scheduled to appear at a court tomorrow, Tuesday 23 August, to answer the charges.
The detective said the boy had previously been bailed in March on three counts of car theft, robbery and attempted robbery. He has also faced court on multiple counts of burglary and theft – including theft of a bicycle, theft from cars, deception using stolen credit cards, and criminal damage to a car and a building under construction.
After the alleged attack on the girl, the boy’s legal aid team made yet another bail application – his seventh successful application.
A 13-year-old Langwarrin boy, charged over the same attack on the girl, refused to attend court, so his matters were further adjourned.
16 Comments
The Magistrate needs to be held responsible for this young hoodlums behaviour, maybe then the public and the police force wouldn’t have to put up with this revolving door policy. How long before he seriously injures or kills someone, or someone takes the law into their own hands, because we are sick of the justice system failing good honest people.
What the hell are the parents doing to get this kid some help? Why is this kid like this? What home front has he come from? The magistrate needs to be stood down from his position if he can’t see what severe damage this kid causes no matter where he goes. Bring back Corporal Punishment. Eye for an eye. Lets see if the kid likes to have his hair burnt, face kicked in, etc. I hate to imagine what the kid is going to like when he is 18 years old. Society will suffer all due to our so called fair justice system. Fair Legal System- FAR FROM IT!!!!!-
An eye for an eye leaves everybody blind… Two wrongs dont make a right.. Multiple euphemisms I could tell you about why thats the wrong way… Making the judicial system accountable for releasing people like this in the first place would be more effective…
Im the parent of the child that was attacked and cannot begin to tell you what our family is going through. She has not yet returned to school as she is simply to afraid to leave the house. I also have a younger child that is now having nightmares of seeing her sister on fire being attacked. The police have been so very helpful and work so hard to bring these offenders to justice and once they arrive at the court system their work goes to waste with bail being constantly granted. The judge is obviously out of touch with the affect these crimes place on families. We will never be the same it has changed the way we live our lives. I can only imagine what the offenders punishment would have been if it was the judges daughter. How many chances do these criminals get ? Will it take a murder charge before something is done to get these violent teens off our streets ? How many more innocent victims and families have to suffer before action is taken ?
Rebecca I am so sorry to see what your family has and is going through I also feel sorry for the police as they do their job only to have it thrown back in their faces I really don’t know what is happening in our world ,.
My son was targeted by some of these deranged group of kids after your daughters attack and I had to get an intervention order to protect him. They have learned nothing and not changed their ways. I am so sorry for what your family is going through.
The Frankston Magistrate is a joke. They can’t even apply any effective justice to criminals nor able to keep our community safe. Car theft and burgulary- yes release him. Deception with credit cards – yes, release him. Assaulting and armed robbery – Yes, release him.
Why would a magistrate say “last, last chance”. and release him. Clearly the magistrate words mean nothing to him and the community. What a joke.
Over the last few years I have read and heard about the amount of Young Children been involved in crimes which have involved: Bashing, Bullying, Maiming animals, injuring people with intent to cause pain, racism, peer pressure, crimes which include stealing cars, breaking and entering, damage to others property. The list is endless. I truly believe that these minority Juveniles that are caught up in this pattern of trouble and nothing short of been disrespectful youngsters. They do know what they are doing, and they are more than aware that they are Immune from punishment because of their age. Lower the age for Juvenile charges to give a fear of the consequences of their actions. Only this will stop the crimes of young ones, before their actions become unstoppable.
This behaviour is disgusting… This boy obviously has no respect for the law as it has refused to put forth any consequences after multiple offense’s….. This kid need intervention now before he ends up killing someone….if that means placing him into appropriate custody then it needs to be done sooner rather than later…
So many judges are getting it wrong.. judges should be held accountable for their decisions… fine the judges if the offender re offends on bail.. have the judge be held liable if a murder is committed while the offender is let off with a small fine … the judges give to much leniency to re offendeget tough or get off the bench
The magistrate involved in these misscarrages of justice MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE BENCH and he himself should be made accountable
I can vent all my anger and frustration to this terrible incident and my sympathy goes out to the parents but our hands r tied regarding the justice system until the judge and magistrates stop feeling sorry for these thugs they will continue to do what they like
I agree with all of the above, our community is not a safe place any more when the vulnerable are being attacked in the street and in their homes and these “out of control” young hoodlums are not being held accountable. I also ask how they are constantly being supplied with free Legal Aid, perhaps for the first offence but not after that, we are paying the price twice. Our Judges and Magistrates need to take a look at the history of these offenders before granting bail.
Looks like the only thing to do is what the Swedes are doing. Start a vigilante movement to protect the innocent. Really all this lefty political correct leniency bull is too much now. Our young offenders may well be so called ‘victims of society’ but just where does the line begin and end for what ‘society’ tolerates.
Maybe the kids young age is unduly influencing the judge. There are 10 year olds who are violent and manipulative. Perhaps they have parents who do not assert any rules. It can be shocking to encounter a violent child, because often they have no limits and keep tormenting their victim with seemingly no concern if they do the ultimate, causing death.
There needs to be sustained intervention with violent children and teenagers. They need to bee encouraged to develop empathy. And, whether that’s successful or not, they need to learn to be civil and follow rules that in the end, benefit themselves.
Maybe this kid has no parents and does crime because he knows parkville is a safe place for him where he has a root over his head and gets 3 meals a day! I’m not saying these kids are in the right but look at the bigger picture it’s the system we need to focus on obviously something isn’t working for them whilst out in the community and there is bare minimum funding for youth programs anyway to actually engage them in something a pose to doing crime and keeping them off the streets! The system needs an overhaul as it doesn’t compensate for children of this generation…. the children’s commission make life harder for people to put boundaries in place for these kids as well so they have lost respect for the community