‘We need to be taking that kid into care’: Potter pledge to improve Territory parents

The Territory government wants to make parents responsible for the behaviour of their kids. Read what they’ve got planned.

New Police Minister Brent Potter has warned negligent parents the government will make greater use of powers to remove children from households where they believe there is a risk to the child’s wellbeing.

Reacting to community frustration at the brutal robbery of an 85-year-old great-grandmother in Nightcliff last week, Mr Potter also defended a police decision to bail the 19-year-old girl allegedly responsible for the attack in Wadeye.

Two children believed to be about eight escaped punishment for their role in the robbery because they are below the age of criminal liability.

On Saturday the NT News spoke exclusively with Despina Politis, the 85-year-old woman who was attacked and robbed.

Generic imagery of Nightcliff Sport Club parking. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

After the attack her daughter Poppy wrote a letter to Chief Minister Natasha Fyles, which was also posted on social media, accusing her government of failing to protect Territorians from crime and violence.

“Chief Minister, regardless of what is happening in the courts, the fact this is even happening in our own community confirms the system is broken,” she wrote.

“You are in charge of a political party that continually dishes up excuses, under the guise of protectionism and weak laws that do not provide any consequences for the offenders.

“There is nothing to protect the general public from what is simply disgusting behaviour perpetrated on innocent members of the community.

Despina Politis’ daughter Poppy.

“Why do we constantly end up having to see perpetrators paraded as the victims, when our focus should be on the actual victims themselves.”

Grilled on Katie Woolf’s 360 radio program, Mr Potter said he wanted parents to take responsibility to prevent their children from misbehaving or breaking laws.

“We need to be putting it back on the parents,” Mr Potter said.

“I want to see greater accountability for parents and that’s what we’re working towards at the moment and the discussions I’m having with the Territory Families minister (Ngaree Ah Kit) and police at the executive level is (about) how can we get families more accountable and involved with a seat at the table.

Police Minister Brent Potter. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“I think if we really want to change the behaviour of under 12-year-olds, the parent has to be accountable.

“If the parent is unable to be the parent then we have the provision under the Care and Protection Act Section 57, we need to be taking that kid into care.

“I think how we get around whether its mandatory or non-mandatory is removing the kid from the environment and then putting intensive programs behind them when they’re in the care of the CE of Territory Familes.”

Mr Potter defended bailing the teenager alleged to have robbed Despina Politis to Wadeye because, he said, it removed the girl from Darwin’s streets.

“I think this is the best outcome for Territorians, people being sentenced to appear before their communities,” he said.

“People are waiting in town to go before the local court and might be waiting for a period of time, there’s a chance they’ll have an opportunity to re-offend again with all the vices we see in the city.”

Section 57 of the 2007 Care and Protection of Children Act relates to the movement of a child by an authorised officer.