Axes thrown at school kids as gang violence spirals in Peppimenarti

School kids have been targeted by terrifying violent acts at the hand of a notorious gang in a remote NT town. Here’s what the community wants to see change.

Peppimenarti’s health clinic and shop have become the latest victims in a series of relentless attacks as the notorious Jovi Boys’ campaign of terror continues in the remote community.

Traditional Owner and West Daly Regional Council member John Wilson said the latest incident was just another example of the “so called Jovi Gang” members “running around with machete and axe, throwing louvres from the houses that have been broken into”.

“Last night they was smashing cars again, the health clinic emergency service car, ambulance, got smashed,” he said.

“The shop car got smashed by this Jovi Gang and the shop manager lady got attacked by them by rocks and rang triple-0 again.”

Mr Wilson said the town’s Elders had tried reasoning with the Jovi Boys without success, while the efforts of law enforcement had been ineffective at best.

Peppimenarti Traditional Owner and West Daly councillor John Wilson speaks about how the Jovi Boys gang is terrorising his community. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“We tried several times (to talk to them), they apologised, my boys, family, apologised with them in front of the coppers and the next thing you can see torch light coming over late at night, wanna fight again,” he said.

“They got no respect whatsoever.”

Mr Wilson said the situation had gotten so bad, many families had pulled their children out of the local school after it was repeatedly targeted by gang members.

“They come there, throw rocks at school, throw axe at kids, been reported several times, nothing been done, they’re too frightened to go to school — no one would send their kids to school if they’ve been attacked from idiots,” he said.

“We want to go back to that lifestyle that we get up in the morning, kids go to school, parents go to work, kids come back to their home where they should be, not in tents.

“They’re just terrorising the community and they should be arrested and when they get arrested not taken back to the community, move them on, not back in the community.”

Peppimenarti Traditional Owner Nunuk Wilson and partner Karl Lukanovic have been terrorised in their homes by the region's notorious Jovi Boys gang. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Karl Lukanovic, who has lived in Peppimenarti for the past two decades, said it was “the parents down in that end of town” who “do not want to acknowledge their children are causing trouble because they’re troublemakers themselves”.

“Domestic violence down that end of town is out of control, I mean it is very out of control,” he said.

“Police, I don’t know what they’re doing, (gang members) come into town, steal cars, they go round to all the bottle shops, steal all the grog out of there, go back there give their older people grog, go to Port Keats and sell it for $500 a bottle.”

Mr Lukanovic said recent bail reforms passed in the wake of the fatal stabbing of bottle shop worker Declan Laverty were useless in Peppimenarti where the police presence was “insufficient”.

He called on the Territory government to do more to try to stop the violence.

“The NT government does not care, NT Police, they’re walking on eggshells, they’re not helping people,” he said.

“The judicial system really needs to be changed, this bail they keep on getting, they’re out on the street, these are repeat offenders.

“I reckon really what has to happen with juvenile crime is they need to go out bush and do work camps.

“It’s got to change, you’ve got to show them ‘Look, you’re going to be punished properly boy, and you’ve got to go work’, you’ve got to teach people to learn how to respect others and your community.”

Members of Peppimenarti's notorious Jovi Boys gang. Picture: Supplied

In response to questions about the unrest, NT Police released a statement without making any direct reference to Peppimenarti.

Instead, a spokeswoman for the force said police were “committed to ensuring the safety of all residents, including those in remote communities”.

“Addressing anti-social behaviour is not just a policing issue but requires collaboration and co-operation from the community,” she said.

“While law enforcement plays a critical role in preventing and responding to incidents of anti-social behaviour, long-term solutions require a holistic approach that involves other stakeholders such as government agencies, community leaders and social service organisations.”

She said addressing root causes such as poverty, social exclusion and mental health problems required “a co-ordinated effort beyond the traditional law enforcement role”.

She said while NT Police recognised its role in controlling the use of weapons, it was “not solely the responsibility of the police”.

“Effective management of weapon control requires a collaborative effort involving all community members, including community leaders, government agencies and other stakeholders,” she said.

Originally published as Axes thrown at school kids as gang violence spirals in Peppimenarti