‘Scrub it off with a toothbrush’: Ex magistrate condemns vandal attack
Vandals responsible for a senseless graffiti attack on the Cairns City Library have been arrested, but they would be dealt a tough punishment if former magistrate Pat O’Shane was still at the bench. HAVE YOUR SAY
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VANDALS allegedly responsible for a senseless graffiti attack on the Cairns City Library have been charged by Cairns police.
Police will allege two male teenagers attended the library between the hours of 1am and 6am on Wednesday where it will be alleged, they were seen damaging two buildings using black markers.
On Thursday, police arrested and charged the boys with wilful damage.
A 14-year -old Mooroobool boy will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act and a 13-year-old Mooroobool boy will appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court at a later date.
But, if former magistrate Pat O’Shane was still on the bench the alleged vandals responsible would be made to clean it off with a toothbrush.
Cairns Regional Council was quick to act and by midday the graffiti by “Sonny” and “Tony” was painted over at a cost of $2500 to the ratepayer. Australia’s first Aboriginal magistrate, Ms O’Shane said the attack was a symptom of a broader issue within Australian society.
“Society as a whole has to take responsibility,” she said.
“There is nowhere in our society that they are getting an alternate set of values.”
A magistrate serving the Local Court in Sydney until her retirement in 2013, Ms O’Shane was not across sentencing options available to Queensland courts but was clear about what punishment she would like to see handed down.
“Let the punishment fit the crime, make them scrub it off with a toothbrush,” she said.
Asked about relocation sentencing and the building of a Cairns youth detention centre as Townsville’s Cleveland Youth Detention Centre reaches maximum capacity, Ms O’Shane said locking people up was not the answer to a Far North crime problem.
“Those that get sent to jail just keep coming back, we called it the revolving door,” she said.
“It doesn’t teach them anything, except there are worse behaviours that they could involve themselves in.”
Library user from Port Douglas Vicki Milner said the act of vandalism was epitome of disrespect.
“To do that to any beautiful building is just bad,” she said.
“Destroying beautiful buildings or trying to, I don’t quite follow what they’re trying to achieve.
“It’s a beautiful building and it’s here for everybody, (vandalism) doesn’t achieve anything.”
Remote worker Jamie Jansen is a regular library user and relies on the facility’s Wi-Fi service.
“That’s crazy,” she said.
“I don’t know what to say only that it’s terrible, I don’t know why people would do that.”
Having recently moved to Cairns Ms Jansen said she had not personally been impacted by crime but she did feel wary while walking alone in the city after dark.
“I don’t always feel safe, especially at night,” she said.
“I wouldn’t go walk on the streets by myself, and that’s new for me. Anywhere else in Australia it’s always been fine.”
Police have appealed for witnesses in the vicinity of Abbott St early Tuesday morning to come forward.
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Originally published as ‘Scrub it off with a toothbrush’: Ex magistrate condemns vandal attack
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