Youth crime in Cairns

I recently noticed that Queensland especially Far North Queensland has a huge problem with Youth Crimes. Children under the age of 14 years can't really be punished by the legal system of Queensland. Many Aboriginal children use this blind spot to do all sorts of crimes. 

About a week ago three Aboriginal children nearly broke into our house, but luckily they took off after they saw the security camera. (Video 1)

 

Video 1 

Since then I have joined a Facebook group called "CRIMES ALERT CAIRNS", where residents of Cairns post about everything they see, which might be a criminal activity. About 70% of the posts are about children breaking into houses or stealing cars. 

But whenever they are caught, the victims have to write them a letter in which they tell them that they shouldn't do these crimes, but that's it. Nothing more happens. 

My host mother told me about a friend of hers, who works at a petrol station, which also has problems with youth crimes. Everyday of the week Aboriginal children walk into the store and steal sodas and sweets. But when she calls the police, they always say the same thing: If what they have stolen is worth less than 20 dollars than they won't come. But it happens everyday. 

Last night four Aboriginal girls aged 16, 14, 13 and 11 broke into the ice-cream shop of a daughter of my host family. They destroyed all of the ice-cream machines and vandalized the whole store. The girls were caught but the victim dropped the charges since she didn't want other criminals to concentrate on her shop. (Video 2)

                                                                            Video 2

That's why many people are going on a demonstration this weekend, trying to convince the parliament to change the law.