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Source: ONE News
Parliament has passed legislation bringing the most significant changes to the youth justice system since its inception in 1989.
The new law means serious child offenders, aged 12 and 13, will now come under the jurisdiction of the Youth Court.
It also means that court now has the ability to double the length of sentences and significantly extend the duration of care and protection orders.
The legislation includes military-style training camps and extending Youth Court powers to be able to put in place parenting, education and drug and alcohol programmes.
National had the numbers to pass the bill thanks to support from Act and United Future.
Act MP David Garrett launched a blistering attack on convicted killer Bailey Junior Kurariki and his family as parliament debated the legislation. He highlighted Kurariki's repeated breaches of parole and said the young offender will reoffend seriously enough that he will be sent back to prison for a long time.
Garrett also had strong words for Kurariki's mother. But his comments were condemned by Labour MP Lianne Dalziel who says Garret has no knowledge of Kurariki's family or their circumstances.
Step backwards
But UNICEF says sending 12 and 13-year-olds to Youth Court would be a step backwards.
Currently 12 and 13 year olds are dealt with by the Family Court and UNICEF national advocacy manager Barbara Lambourn says criminalising young children goes against the advice of experts on criminality and human rights.
Lambourn says all but two of the 51 submissions to the Select Committee were against lowering the age of criminality. She says many of the submissions referred to the power of the Family Court which can make children accountable and can make orders which are mandatory.
She says if we can resource and fund the Family Court better, it has the expertise to deal with young offenders.
And Lambourn says dealing with children in the context of their family circumstances has a better chance of diverting them from a path of crime.
She says all of the evidence shows keeping children out of the court and criminal system for as long as possible has the best chance of rehabilitating and reintegrating them into the community.
Election platform
Meanwhile, a leading social justice advocate is insisting the tough new youth justice measures are nothing more than an election platform.
Social justice advocate Celia Lashlie says the law is just a means for the government to prove it has taken a hard line on youth crime. She says it addresses symptoms - not the issues which will make New Zealand a safer place.
Lashlie says middle-class New Zealanders seem frightened the problem is too big to handle.
Lashlie says the real question she has is why some 12 and 13 year olds get to the point where they need to be dealt with so harshly. She says we tend to say it's down to the parents but she is increasingly discovering a lot of it is actually the making of the state.
