Family’s anger as teen accused of involvement in violent gang bashing escapes with caution

A family has reacted with fury after learning a teenager accused of involvement in a violent gang bashing at Burleigh Heads has escaped with a police caution. Full details.

A teenager accused of involvement in a sickening gang bashing at Burleigh Heads which left two boys in hospital has escaped with a police caution.

Four teenagers were allegedly attacked by a gang of about 30 youths at Burleigh Heads on Australia Day.

One of the 16-year-old victims was left with a fractured eye socket and nose when his head was allegedly kicked and stomped repeatedly during the attack near Justin Park.

“He had an outline of a shoe print on his head when he was in the back of the ambulance with the paramedic,” a family member told the Bulletin.

Another of the four teens attacked was allegedly left with a broken jaw.

A 16-year-old Regents Park boy was charged with one count of assault occasioning bodily harm and was scheduled to appear at the Southport Children’s Court on March 24.

However a second Regents Park boy alleged by police to have been involved in the attack, a 15-year-old, escaped with a caution.

“Under the Youth Justice Act 1992 police have discretionary powers where applicable to apply a caution to a juvenile under strict guidelines,” a Queensland Police Service spokesperson said.

“These guidelines include the level of involvement of the individual in the offence, the criminal history of the individual and the acknowledgment of the individual’s part in the offence.

“In this particular instance there was an alleged primary offender, with others present during the offence.”

A family member of one of the boys injured in the Australia Day bashing, who has asked not be identified due to safety and privacy concerns, labelled the punishment “pathetic” and demanded answers.

“They (victims) could have been killed and will probably experience mental distress for some time. How can they feel any justice when one of the attackers walked away with not even so much as a slap on the wrist,” the family member said.

“It is a pathetic outcome and sends the wrong message. If you’re a kid, you can commit a violent act and seriously injure someone and the worst you’ll get is a piece of paper telling you that you’ve been a naughty boy.”

It’s understood the family have not been told why police used the discretionary powers.

The Bulletin asked Police Minister Dan Purdie whether he believed the decision by officers to issue a caution was in line with community expectations, and if he believed it undermined the government’s stronger laws which aimed to get tough on youth crime.

A spokeswoman for the minister said he declined to comment on the matter and referred to the statement issued by the QPS.

A teenager charged over a sickening gang bashing at Burleigh Heads which left two boys in hospital will not face court or tougher penalties despite the new Adult Crime, Adult Time laws.