Steve Price: it’s outrageous to demand Indigenous youth criminals be treated differently

Victoria already has a Koori court for Indigenous offenders but now advocates want more changes to protect youths in the justice system like not jailing armed robbers and banning strip searches.

Teenage gangs are roaming suburban Melbourne streets armed with machetes, robbing innocent school children, stealing cars after terrifying home invasions, and this week a body called the Yoorook Justice Commission of Victoria demanded no Indigenous person under 16-years-old ever be sent to jail.

Can they be serious!

In another formal recommendation this outfit wants the age of criminality raised to 14-years-old. That would leave 10-to-13-year-old’s free to commit crimes as they are doing and not get a criminal record. Not even a slap on the wrist presumably… just a get out of jail free card.

What sort of craziness is this rush for Indigenous truth telling and search for injustice- as they call it- being delivered in our state.

Has no-one on this Commission read report after report about young teenagers, some as young as ten or twelve, sneaking into homes to steal cars for joy rides?

Weekend figures published by this newspaper were shocking and disturbing.

Youths are committing crimes and getting a get out of jail free card and the Yoorook Justice Commission wants no child under 16 ever sent to jail.

There is no evidence of the involvement of Indigenous children in these crimes, but the suggested law changes would have to apply to all Victorians, have no doubt about that.

This Yoorook Commission was set up by the Dan Andrews Government – who else – in 2021 and has been hailed as a prototype for giving Aboriginal people a formalised voice in government decision making. If this is the prototype, how do you explain some of the radical views on law and order these people are sprouting?

Disturbingly, of course, in the current climate around Indigenous disadvantage it would be a brave state government that ignored any recommendations coming from a Commission established by that same government.

You and I know given the track record of the Andrews administration what comes next.

Yoorook is a standing Royal Commission set up in a divisive attempt to treat Indigenous law breakers differently from non-Indigenous Victorians. This week they published their final report.

Here though is the kicker and the kick in the guts for non-Indigenous Victorians.

The Victorian Government will consider the 46 recommendations- and I know this is hard to believe- then will consult with the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria to negotiate aspects of the policies and laws by treaty.

A Royal Commission set up to look at historical and on-going injustices against Indigenous Victorians by the state government makes its findings and that same GOVERNMENT must check with an Indigenous group to see if they agree. Seriously what does anyone think they are going to say?

If you want a practical example of what the national Voice referendum will mean if the Yes vote gets up here it is in black and white.

The Yes campaign will call shame on such a link and label me a racist but what other conclusion can any sensible person reach.

A Glen Eira College student was pulled into a grey Volkswagen on Monday as he walked home from school, he was robbed of his phone and other items and was seriously injured as he got out of the moving car. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Victoria is already a long way down the road on treaty and what they call truth telling. This Commission wants to deliver a raft of changes to the way Indigenous young people are treated by the police and courts. They want them treated differently to non-Indigenous youngsters and that is outrageous.

Incredibly with very little debate or consultation this state already has a Koori court system. It’s described as a more inclusive and culturally appropriate sentencing regime tacked onto the traditional Magistrates, County and Children’s Courts.

Why someone charged with a serious offence like car-jacking or assault with a machete or a home invasion should have their matter heard differently based on the colour of their skin or cultural background is wrong.

Yoorrook though gets worse, it also asks the Andrews regime to change bail laws for accused Indigenous offenders to make the prosecution prove why bail should not be granted in ALL circumstances excluding murder, terrorism and similar offences. Presumably threatening a school kid with a machete or breaking into your house and stealing your car isn’t one of those similar offences.

It gets worse. Yoorrook wants prison guards to be banned from routine strip searches of Indigenous prisoners or youth offenders in youth justice centres. They also recommend quizzing the Chief Commissioner of Police of his understanding of the history of colonisation and commitment to ending systemic racism. They want their own independent police watchdog with powers to arrest, search property and compel information from Victoria Police.

So, Koori courts and now a Koori police watchdog.

Man in prison hands of behind hold Steel cage jail bars. offender criminal locked in jail.

Incredibly current police commissioner Shane Patton appeared in front of this truth telling exercise and said the over representation of the Indigenous population – Patton’s words – was unacceptable and pledged that Victoria Police would take action to address it. Then this “as Chief Commissioner, and on behalf of Victoria Police, I wish to formally and unreservedly apologise for police actions that have caused trauma to so many Aboriginal families in our jurisdiction.”

You can’t make this stuff up. The top cop saying sorry that so many Aboriginal Victorians break the law and end up in jail or youth detention.

Let’s give the last word to a great former Victorian Police Commissioner Kel Glare.

He told the Herald Sun this week changing the age of criminal responsibility- as suggested by Yoorrook - was “absolute nonsense.”

Kel Glare went further making the point that raising the age to 14 years-old doesn’t mean much if you get shot by a 13- year- old not a 31- year- old…. YOU ARE STILL DEAD.

Well said.

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