Sky News and Courier-Mail Youth Crime special from Toowoomba

Sky News host Paul Murray has broadcast live from Toowoomba, bringing a new focus on youth crime in Queensland, with a powerful statement on “why we are here”.

Sky News host Paul Murray has broadcast live from Toowoomba, bringing a new focus on youth crime in Queensland.

The Sky News and Courier-Mail Paul Murray Live Youth Crime Special featured Queenslanders who have been heavily impacted by youth crime, including those who have been the victim of several home invasions and car thefts.

During the show, Mr Murray listed recent Queensland victims of youth crime, stating after every name: “This is why we are here.”

Robert Brown. Picture: Bev Lacey

The names included Emma Lovell who died during an alleged home invasion in North Lakes and Robert William Brown who died after being allegedly attacked by youths in a broad daylight robbery as he waited for a taxi outside Toowoomba’s Grand Central Shopping Centre.

His death sparked an explosive forum on youth crime in the city.

“It’s not just youth crime, it’s violent crime,” Mr Murray said.

Recent statistics suggest that in one year there were 45,210, 10-17-years-old offenders and of that 10,125 were violent offences.

Lawyer couple and youth crime victims Aaron Anderson and Christine Small joined in the broadcast. They were targeted during a recent home invasion where Mr Anderson was critically wounded by a teen offender.

“The charge was downgraded from attempted murder, to unlawful wounding and then no charge recorded at all,” Mr Anderson said.

“I now sleep with a baseball bat under my bed just to feel safe.

“Some nights are better than others, some noises trigger you, we have had to move house just to feel safe,” Ms Small said.

Sky News host Paul Murray.

Opposition leader David Crisafulli joined the conversation and while he applauded the government’s recent flip on their bail recommendations, he said the youth crime crisis legislation was still in shambles.

“The right can’t work with the left and the left can’t work with the right and the public just get left right out,” Mr Crisafulli said.

The Courier-Mail editor, Chris Jones, also appeared on the show, giving a special interview to highlight the continued advocacy of News Corp’s Queensland mastheads urging authorities to take action on the issue and highlighting the devastating impact on victims.

The special broadcast followed the launch of the Enough is Enough campaign calling for a commitment from both sides of government to publicly publish the state’s results on three key performance indicators every six months – the measures experts say are central to turning around the scourge of youth crime.

Toowoomba Chronicle editor Jordan Philp – who has spearheaded a local campaign on the issue – also appeared on the live broadcast.

Before the live broadcast, Mr Murray had said the public forum in Toowoomba was the catalyst for the show to broadcast live from the Darling Downs.

“We decided to head to Toowoomba after seeing the public forum last week. People are furious and sending a minister to say sorry doesn’t cut it,” he said.

He said the Queensland Government’s response to youth crime was insufficient and he hoped to hear first-hand what Queenslanders were dealing with.

“The powerful desperately want to change the subject. But we can’t let their media spin win again,” he said.

“Normal people have had enough and they don’t have to live like this.

“I’m coming to town because I want to look people in the eye and hear the truth. Not just on the air but in the street and everywhere we go while we are in town.”

Sky News reached out to the Queensland Government to see if a representative would appear on the show, but the invitation was declined by the government officials.