By Darroch Ball – Sensible Sentencing Trust

“The marked increase in violent youth crime has been long predicted and is being met by a chorus of excuses instead of admitting the soft youth system is a demonstrable failure,” says Darroch Ball Leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust.

“Its time to throw the book at them instead of treating them with hugs and lollipops.”

“There has never been clearer evidence that the way the current enforcement and justice systems deal with young offenders needs to change.”

“Right now they are acting like a bunch of spoilt brats throwing tantrums – and the system continues to allow them to do so. They all think the risk of being caught is worth the kudos they will get by posting it on social media.”

“But all we are hearing is the same old excuses and rhetoric from the apologists – the youth are bored, they are neglected, they are bullied, they are truant, they come from troubled homes.”

“That’s been the case since the dawn of time – but it doesn’t explain the steady increase in youth crime we are seeing today.”

“One apologist said youth were committing crime because ‘hurt people, hurt people’. No, out of control ill-disciplined little thugs who think police can’t touch them and the system is a joke are the ones that ‘hurt people’.”

“Where are the calls for them to be held to account? Where are the demands for an explanation about why the justice system is not doing its job and keeping communities safe?”

“The government has been in charge of the system for at least five years now – so why the sudden increase in crime? Why are their policies not working? Why the deafening silence from the government?”

“These youth are running rampant around the country because they don’t get caught – and if they do they get a slap on the wrist. It isn’t hard to understand that they need harsher consequences so the risk of being caught not worth the crime.”