From: "saeed urrehman" <saeed.urrehman-AT-anu.edu.au>
Subject: even still more: how racism operates
Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 20:22:01 +1100


Kid gloves off for young arsonists
By Sarah Crichton and Stephen Gibbs

http://www.smh.com.au/news/0201/03/national/national8.html


Youths who deliberately light fires should have their noses rubbed "in the
ashes they've caused", the Premier, Bob Carr, said yesterday as he outlined
a tougher approach to young arsonists.

Under the plan, the juvenile offenders will be forced to visit burns victims
and doctors, meet victims of the fires now blazing, take part in community
service to clean up the affected areas, and possibly have to pay
compensation.

Sometimes they will be accompanied by their families.

Mr Carr said the measures would be dictated in a circular being sent to
police this week.

"I think sending them to a juvenile prison is in some respects too good for
them," he said.

"What is better is to rub their noses in the ashes they've caused by making
them clean up the mess, work with the victims and go into a burns ward and
talk to people who have suffered from fire."

In the face of a public outcry over arson penalties, the Director of Public
Prosecutions, Nicholas Cowdery, called for calm, saying existing penalties
and procedures were adequate and legislative change was not required.

"The public and commentators should not make the task [of investigation and
punishment] more difficult ... by pressing for unrealistic and draconian
outcomes and turning on the officials when they are not delivered," Mr
Cowdery said.

"Community conferencing for juvenile offenders is not a soft option - they
may be required to confront personally those who have lost everything as a
result of their actions."

Police yesterday revealed 22 people had been arrested in relation to fires
lit in NSW and the ACT since Boxing Day, including 15 boys aged between nine
and 16. Only one remains in custody, while most of the youths will be dealt
with under the Young Offenders Act.

Most arrests had been made by local police or by residents, although none of
the alleged offenders has been charged in relation to a major blaze.

"None of these will be let off with a caution. My own position is that a
custodial sentence would be appropriate in any of these cases," Mr Carr
said.

He conceded, however, that some of the youths had already become involved in
the conferencing system, under which they plead guilty and can have direct
contact with their victims.

Police also said yesterday they found a device that may have been used to
light a bushfire that raged near houses at West Pennant Hills on New Year's
Day.

A second device was found in the Galston area, also in the city's
north-west, but it did not spark a fire there.

Mr Carr said the state coroner, John Abernethy, had launched a formal
inquiry into the causes of the fires after meeting fire officials and
touring affected areas by helicopter yesterday.

And the head of Strikeforce Tronto, Commander John Laycock, said police were
investigating reports of a man on a motorcycle lighting fires along Blue
Mountains tracks.

"However, we have not been able to identify those involved at this time and
inquiries are still continuing," Commander Laycock said.

Police on trailbikes had been patrolling bushland in the lower Blue
Mountains at "appropriate times during the day", he said.



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