After her teenage son was brutally bashed and left with a fractured eye socket, a Melbourne mother says she’s had enough—and they will be relocating to another state that’s “tougher” on youth crime.
Jack was mercilessly bashed, then robbed at Pakenham in Melbourne’s far east at his friend’s 18th birthday party on June 1.
He was pinned against a wall, punched in the face, and kicked repeatedly after falling to the ground.
“[Many cities] are in a shocking place at the moment, same with Melbourne. And that’s why we’re packing up and leaving [to Queensland],” Jack’s mother Karen (surname withheld) told The Epoch Times.
“The premier, [David Crisafulli], is definitely a lot tougher up there than here.”
Despite the major facial damage Jack sustained at the hands of his attackers, Karen said he was slowly recovering, but there are questions over whether Jack will regain his vision.
“You can tell his eyes don’t look the same,” she said.
“He still has double vision looking up and down. I suppose that’s our concern because he’s wanting to study to be an electrician.”
Offences against property by youths also dropped 7.8 percent, from 11,163 incidents to 10,294 over the same periods.
The Liberal National Party swept to power in October last year with its Adult Crime, Adult Time campaign.
“We are serious about driving down what is a youth crime crisis in this state,” he told Sunrise television.
However, in Victoria, the Labor government has only recently changed its stance on introducing tougher bail conditions for young offenders.
“If they get tougher, maybe these people would think twice. But there’s a gang culture that has come into Victoria in particular,” Karen said.
“And it needs to be stopped because kids are now getting caught up in this, like my son.”
Police Confirm Phone, Bag, Clothing Stolen
Victoria Police has told The Epoch Times it is investigating the incident involving Jack.“It is understood a man was involved in an altercation with a group of male offenders outside a property on Corymbia Promenade about 12:15 a.m.,” the Police said.
“The group assaulted him, punching him and then kicking him when he was on the ground. Officers were told they stole his shoes and attempted to steal his mobile phone.
“An 18-year-old Pakenham man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”
The group dispersed before police arrived.
“They stole his phone, bag and clothing items before fleeing the scene,” police said.
GoFundMe Campaign Underway
The family have, as of June 20, raised $3,000 on GoFundMe to cover “ongoing medical and psychological support,” the costs of relocating interstate, lost wages due to the family taking time off, and new clothing and items.“I know there are still so many good people in Australia. We’ve had people help us to move house, helping us with Jack and donating–strangers donating to support him, give back to him and help him,” Karen said.
Concerns About Migration and Values
Data from Victoria Police reveal crime rates continuing to surge in the state with a 20.1 percent increase in criminal incidents, and a 17.1 percent overall increase across all offences.When adjusted for Victoria’s growing population, the state’s crime rate rose about 15.2 percent.
Karen said Australia’s high migrant intake could be a factor, saying there was not enough emphasis on assimilating to local values.
“I came to this country over 20 years ago, and there were strict rules when I came here,” she said.
“And I think it’s maybe not the same these days. So until they get things under control, I think it needs to be stopped, or even slowed down.”
Originally from the UK, Karen compared the situation in Melbourne to London.
In the year ending March 2024, youth crime in London saw a year-on-year increase for the second consecutive year, with a 4 percent rise to about 35,600 proven offences committed by children, according to the government.
While some categories like knife and offensive weapon offences decreased, others such as sexual offences and violence saw significant increases.
Victoria Police Arresting 9 Youths Per Day
Meanwhile, Victoria Police said they were arresting about nine young offenders per day.“Victoria Police continues to hold our youngest offenders accountable,” a spokesperson said.
“This includes almost 3,300 arrests made as part of operations Alliance and Trinity, which target serious and violent child and youth offending.
“We are arresting nine youth gang members, child burglars and underage car thieves in Victoria everyday. Our intelligence shows around 300 child and youth offenders are causing most of the harm.”
Victoria Police added they were working around the clock to increase their understanding of why these crimes were being carried out.
“Our Crime Reduction Teams regularly engage with our worst young offenders and their families to uncover these reasons,” the spokesperson said.
“As our high arrest rates show, if they fail to engage and continue to harm the community, police will have zero hesitation in taking them into custody.”
