“When will the nightmare end”: victims of youth crime share their harrowing stories

Cairns victims of home invasions, robberies and assaults have spoken out at a Backyard Neighbourhood Crime Forum this morning, desperately pleading for an end to the Queensland Youth Crime Crisis.

The backyard event hosted by the LNP with victims of crime, was held at a home of a Cairns resident whose house had been broken into.  

Some of the distressing youth crime stories shared by victims this morning include:

  • A traumatic break-in where a young father was attacked with multigrips, while a mum protected their four young children.
  • A local small business that his been broken into eight times, leaving thousands of dollars in damage.
  • A wild joyride in a family’s car, stolen by young criminals known to police but still out terrorising the streets.
  • Two broad daylight break-ins in one week while an elderly lady was home alone.
  • Young criminals repeatedly targeting a home to steal the family’s car.

LNP Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the harrowing stories emerging from Cairns, and across Queensland, deserved the full attention of the Palaszczuk Labor Government, who was repeatedly dismissing their pleas for help due to a constant state of chaos and crisis.

“Experiences of crime victims are reaching fever-pitch at a time they feel the State Government is not listening to them anymore and because of that a sense of helplessness is spreading across the state,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“Queenslanders are telling us they feel violated in their own homes, they’re having their young children sleep in the same room and they worry about walking to their front door at night, all because crime is spiralling out of control and the Premier is nowhere to be seen.

“Queenslanders deserve hope, they deserve real reform to tackle youth crime, and it starts with three simple solutions.

“We need to create consequences for actions, we need to unshackle the judiciary by removing detention as a last resort and we need to deliver gold standard early intervention.”

Shadow Assistant Minister for Justice, Laura Gerber said the devastation families and businesses were experiencing at the hands of young criminals was a direct result of the Palaszczuk Labor Government.

“The Premier watered down Queensland’s crime laws in 2015 and now a generation of young offenders have grown up knowing that their rights will always outweigh their victims’ rights,” Ms Gerber said.

“Labor’s weak laws and dwindling police have created the Queensland Youth Crime Crisis we’re facing today.

“People in the Far North are under siege and the Palaszczuk Labor Government is too focused on its own chaos and crisis to do anything about it.”

LNP Candidate for Cairns Yolonde Entsch said the Backyard Neighbourhood Crime Forum today was giving a voice to those left silenced by the youth crime crisis.

“Every week more business owners and families in Cairns are confronted with the dark reality of youth crime,” Mrs Entsch said.

“We should not be living our lives in fear of crime, break-ins and stolen cars should not be a day-to-day reality, our community wants real reform.

“For David and Laura to take the time to listen to how crime is impacting our community and the lives and livelihoods that are suffering, gives us hope we can tackle this crime crisis.”

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