Youth crime Qld: Supermarket stabbing impacts new laws

Premier David Crisafulli vowed to plug any gaps in the state’s crime laws, signalling new measures to happen within the year.

Stabbing victim Claudia Campomayor Watt

The family of a supermarket worker allegedly stabbed by a boy on Monday say the incident has left them in a state of shock while expressing relief she survived.

It comes as Premier David Crisafulli vowed to plug any gaps in the state’s crime laws, signalling courts could be opened up further, knife sale restrictions tightened and sentences toughened within the year.

Claudia Campomayor Watt, 63, was on shift at Coles at Yamanto Central Shopping on the afternoon of January 13 when she was allegedly stabbed in the back by a 13-year-old boy armed with a knife he had taken off the shelf.

Relatives of Ms Campomayor Watt, in a statement released on Thursday via police, confirmed she was out of intensive care and no longer sedated.

“We have been able to speak with her,” they stated.

“The incident has left us in a state of shock and we remain in the process of trying to come to terms with what has happened.

“We still have a long journey ahead of us but thankfully Claudia is now on the road to recovery.”

Ms Campomayor Watt’s family also acknowledged the support they had received from the public, the good Samaritans who helped apprehend the alleged offender, the first responders who provided crucial medical attention and the medical team around her now.

The incident has put a spotlight on the government’s speedily installed Making Queensland Safer Laws, and highlighted gaps in the newly implemented harsher sentencing regime.

Premier David Crisafulli on Thursday

Mr Crisafulli again defended his government’s first tranche of Adult Crime, Adult Time laws, despite the glaring omission of certain offences like rape, attempted murder and arson.

But he also assured Queenslanders the government would be plugging any gaps.

“There is no doubt that there needs to be further reform on the broken youth justice system in this state, and we stand ready to do that,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“As I said at the start, it wouldn’t be one set of changes. I said there would be many, and we will continue to do that, but ultimately there’ll be fewer victims.”

Mr Crisafulli said an expert independent panel designed to inform government on additions to youth crime laws would be formed before parliament resumed in mid-February.

The latest changes have also ensured media are allowed into Children’s Court cases, but the Yamanto incident has uncovered an inability for journalists to view the case file of a juvenile – as they can for adults.

Mr Crisafulli said he wanted a justice system where reporting was able to be done and justice was seen to be done – while still protecting a child’s identity.

“If further reform needs to be done to ensure that reporting is able to give a true reflection on why a sentence is imposed, I can’t see that as anything but a good thing for Queenslanders but also the judiciary,” he said.

Further restrictions on the sale of knives will also be considered this year.

Originally published as Youth crime Qld: Supermarket stabbing impacts new laws