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Victoria's multicultural commissioner says media 'has hammered' African community | Victoria's multicultural commissioner says media 'has hammered' African community |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Melbourne’s African community has been “hammered” by weeks of political furore over youth crime and claims of “gang” violence are not helping, the Victorian multicultural commissioner says. | Melbourne’s African community has been “hammered” by weeks of political furore over youth crime and claims of “gang” violence are not helping, the Victorian multicultural commissioner says. |
“Over the last few weeks, it’s just really been hard the way the media has hammered the African community,” Dr Mimmie Watts told a community meeting in Melbourne on Saturday. | “Over the last few weeks, it’s just really been hard the way the media has hammered the African community,” Dr Mimmie Watts told a community meeting in Melbourne on Saturday. |
Watts, herself a migrant from Cameroon, made the comments a day after community leaders met police to discuss a newly announced African-Australian taskforce aimed at tackling youth crime. | Watts, herself a migrant from Cameroon, made the comments a day after community leaders met police to discuss a newly announced African-Australian taskforce aimed at tackling youth crime. |
The issue is not a new one in Victoria but debate has intensified over the past two weeks with a series of high-profile incidents and pointed commentary from the federal government. People of African appearance have been publicly linked to crimes such as riots, home invasions and armed robberies since early December. | The issue is not a new one in Victoria but debate has intensified over the past two weeks with a series of high-profile incidents and pointed commentary from the federal government. People of African appearance have been publicly linked to crimes such as riots, home invasions and armed robberies since early December. |
Watts said there were “pockets of disengaged rascals” but objected to the term “gang”. | Watts said there were “pockets of disengaged rascals” but objected to the term “gang”. |
“A gang is organised crime ... we have a group of disengaged youths who are out there doing some of the wrong things,” she said. | “A gang is organised crime ... we have a group of disengaged youths who are out there doing some of the wrong things,” she said. |
Abeselom Nega, the chief executive of youth support organisation iEmpower, said: “I think, over the last few weeks, we have seen the effect of ... social disadvantage, disengaged young people creating havoc and creating significant problems.” | Abeselom Nega, the chief executive of youth support organisation iEmpower, said: “I think, over the last few weeks, we have seen the effect of ... social disadvantage, disengaged young people creating havoc and creating significant problems.” |
On Sunday afternoon South Sudanese leaders will join officers on patrol at Tarneit shopping centre to help address recent criminal activity, Wyndham inspector Peter Bitton said. | |
“The joint-patrol is just one of the ways that police are working with the community hand-in-hand to address the criminal behaviour that we’ve seen recently,” Bitton said. | |
The Victoria police deputy commissioner, Andrew Crisp, on Friday attempted to ease tensions and said Victoria was not facing a crime crisis. | The Victoria police deputy commissioner, Andrew Crisp, on Friday attempted to ease tensions and said Victoria was not facing a crime crisis. |
“There is not a crisis in this state in relation to crime or the behaviour we’re seeing of a relatively small number of people of African background,” he said. “We’ve seen, sure, a spike in antisocial behaviour over summer, over the last few weeks, but this is not a crisis.” | “There is not a crisis in this state in relation to crime or the behaviour we’re seeing of a relatively small number of people of African background,” he said. “We’ve seen, sure, a spike in antisocial behaviour over summer, over the last few weeks, but this is not a crisis.” |
The state government has rejected claims by the opposition and federal Coalition that Victoria’s judiciary is soft on crime. | The state government has rejected claims by the opposition and federal Coalition that Victoria’s judiciary is soft on crime. |
“They said there was no consequence for a young person who breaches a condition of their bail,” Victoria’s attorney general, Martin Pakula, said on Friday. “We saw just last week that that was completely untrue. There was a young person who was bailed, he breached his bail by having a mobile phone with him against bail conditions and he was remanded.” | “They said there was no consequence for a young person who breaches a condition of their bail,” Victoria’s attorney general, Martin Pakula, said on Friday. “We saw just last week that that was completely untrue. There was a young person who was bailed, he breached his bail by having a mobile phone with him against bail conditions and he was remanded.” |
Last week, the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, claimed people in Melbourne were afraid to go out for dinner at night because of African street gang violence. | Last week, the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, claimed people in Melbourne were afraid to go out for dinner at night because of African street gang violence. |
On Friday, he blamed “civil libertarian” judges for youth crime, while the state’s shadow attorney general, John Pesutto, labelled the justice system a “basket case”. | On Friday, he blamed “civil libertarian” judges for youth crime, while the state’s shadow attorney general, John Pesutto, labelled the justice system a “basket case”. |
Victoria had 8726 young offenders in 2015-15, New South Wales 20,051 and Queensland 12,931, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. | Victoria had 8726 young offenders in 2015-15, New South Wales 20,051 and Queensland 12,931, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. |