Regional MPs call for top judges to live in communities affected by youth crime crisis

Senior judges who have pushed back against tougher bail reform for repeat young offenders have been challenged by regional MPs to try living in the communities affected by the young thugs.

NSW MPs from areas plagued by youth crime have urged senior judges opposed to the Minns government’s bail test reform to live in the communities worst affected by the crisis.

After The Saturday Telegraph revealed the tightening of Section 22C of the Bail Act had been slammed by several Supreme Court justices during recent juvenile bail hearings as “troubling” and “potentially draconian”, Independent Barwon MP Roy Butler urged those making the comments to “go and live in some of those communities for six months”.

“(They should) see what it feels like to be so powerless and so fearful of what might happen, when a neighbour’s house might get broken into, a car might get stolen and burnt out, a home invasion with young people with knives or bats,” Mr Butler said.

“That’s terrifying, especially for the well aged.”

It comes as the communities, including Kempsey, Armidale and Moree, will begin hosting a series of youth crime rallies from Sunday calling for more action from the Minns government in their communities, days after the bail reform trial was extended to 2028.

Among those attending today’s Kempsey rally will be NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders, who told The Sunday Telegraph the situation where offenders were being bailed repeatedly was “not good enough”.

“Community expectations are clearly different from what the reality is under our magistrates, and while that gap is so big there’s always going to be issues,” Mr Saunders said.

Teen thugs in The Central Coast and Terrigal trying to break into homes and steal cars. Picture: Supplied

“We are constantly seeing cases where troubled youths are repeatedly bailed back to unsuitable home environments where they are likely to reoffend.”

A representative from the Minns government is expected to attend the Kempsey rally.

Liberal Albury MP Justin Clancy said community safety must come first.

“Our laws need to be effective, they need to be a deterrent to committing crimes, and need they need to be supporting police,” he said.

“With respect to those who work in the justice system – the experience of regional communities needs to inform government decisions.”

Originally published as Regional MPs call for top judges to live in communities affected by youth crime crisis