Horror stories told at Qld youth crime crisis town hall meeting

A Queensland mum has told a packed town-hall meeting about the youth crime crisis about the terrifying moment her “safe haven” was taken away in a violent home invasion.

A Queensland mum has recounted the terrifying moment her “safe haven” was taken away when she woke to find two armed intruders inside her home holding guns to her dad’s head.

Sarah Kelly was one of many angry residents who spoke out at a town-hall meeting in Alexandra Hills, west of Brisbane, on Saturday, on what they say is lack of response to Queensland’s youth crime crisis.

“Your home is supposed to be your safe haven, but I woke up to two men in my house with guns to my dad’s head,” Ms Kelly said.

Trudy Reading and Sarah Kelly at the Youth Crime Town Hall in Alexandra Hills on Saturday. Picture: Richard Walker

Ms Kelly claims to have been left in the dark by Queensland Police following the incident and says more needs to be done to address trauma among victims of violent crime.

“There’s no communication whatsoever with the police and that’s frustrating because all we want is answers.”

Gold Coast father Marcelo Alcantara also took the floor at the forum to share his disbelief over the extent of crime in his community – something he sought to escape when migrating to Australia.

“I’m originally from Brazil and I lived among gangs and shootings so that was part of my day-to-day life,” he said.

Mr Alcantara was also the victim of a home invasion when five masked offenders armed with knives broke into his Gold Coast home while his family slept.

“My family was very traumatised – we installed alarm systems and fences – things that I never thought that I would need,” he said.

Some 50 people were at the Youth Crime Town Hall meeting. Picture: Richard Walker

Mr Alcantara says crime in Queensland had been politisized and that was hampering the government;s response to it.

“Early intervention is great but isn’t going to solve the problem right now, and then some people want to lock more people up but not make any preventive measures,” he said.

Former corrective services boss Keith Hamburger, who was one of the keynote speakers, said enough wasn’t being done to “address the problem of where the crime is coming from”.

“In time working in prisons I could get a postcode of all prisoners and I could draw a ring on the map of those postcodes and the vast majority very sadly come from families and communities characterised by poverty and dysfunction, we have a lot of social problems that drive crime,” he said.

Keith Hamburger. Picture: Richard Walker

Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said she understood the community was desperate for answers and responses to reduce offending.

“We’ve got no concerns about people actually coming together and wanting to put forward solutions,” Ms D’Ath said.

“We understand the community wants to feel safe – we want the community to feel safe.

“Offenders must be held to account, whether they’re young offenders or adults, they must be held accountable for their actions.

“But we also need to be looking at prevention.”