Youth justice moves closer after teen arrest over crash

[Pelican Press 0]

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Youth justice moves closer after teen arrest over ******

Beefed-up measures to combat youth ****** in Victoria are imminent after a teenager was arrested following a deadly ****** involving an allegedly stolen car.

A motorbike rider was struck and ******* in a ****** with a BMW at the intersection of Bell and Victoria streets at Preston in Melbourne’s north early on Sunday.

The BMW and another car had been stolen from Pascoe Vale South about an hour earlier, police said.

Two occupants of the BMW fled the ****** scene, with a 16-year-old boy later arrested and taken into custody for questioning.

Premier Jacinta Allan said she was unable to comment on the cause of the ****** but described the man’s ****** as a tragedy and expressed sympathy for his family.

“It must be an incredibly deeply distressing time for them,” she told reporters on Sunday.

The Victorian government and courts faced fierce criticism after a teenage boy was bailed over a ****** at Burwood on July 2 that ******* 28-year-old ******** doctor William Taylor.

The 17-year-old, who was allegedly behind the wheel of a stolen Jeep with five other teens inside when it crashed into Mr Taylor’s car, was initially granted bail but had it revoked after breaching conditions.

In response to backlash, Ms Allan confirmed the government would strengthen youth ****** legislation following a series of meetings with key stakeholders.

The government’s standalone youth justice bill has since passed the Labor-controlled lower house and could be debated in the upper house as early as this week when parliament returns.

The premier was tight-lipped when asked if amendments would be moved to the bill this week, declaring the government would have more to say “soon”.

“There is a pattern of behaviour here that is causing harm and it’s also causing me, and so many in the community, concern,” she said.

The bill includes an electronic monitoring trial for up to 50 young people on bail and lifts ********* responsibility from 10 to 12 years of age, a first for any *********** state.

The state government previously vowed to raise it again to 14 by 2027, with some exceptions for serious offences such as ***** and ******* and subject to an “alternative service model”.

Ms Allan declined repeated opportunities to reaffirm the government’s commitment to the second change as outlined by her predecessor Daniel Andrews.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto called for the premier to walk away from the planned lift to 14 amid what he dubbed a “youth ****** wave”.

“It sends the wrong message and it will leave Victorians more exposed to violent and repeated behaviour by young offenders,” he said.

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