The owner of a dairy in Opawa, Christchurch, was stabbed in a robbery earlier this month. Photo: RNZ/Tim Brown
The spotlight has fallen on violent youth offenders in the wake of an alleged attack on a diary by a teenager in Christchurch earlier this month that left the owner with stab wounds.
Police have arrested a 14-year-old on suspicion of stabbing dairy owner Kamlesh Patel during a robbery in the Christchurch suburb of Opawa on 2 December.
Patel's daughter, Nidhi, said her father suffered injuries to his right forearm and left hand and received a cut on an eyelid in the attack.
She said the family was relieved Patel was recovering well and pleased an arrest had been made.
"Finding out the [alleged] offender is only 14 is unbelievable," Nidhi Patel said.
"These violent youth offenders don't realise the aftermath of their actions on the victim's family. They need to realise if they are going to hurt someone that badly, there will be consequences.
"This is not the first time we have faced such an incident. A few years back, my mum was tasered while protecting my father during an aggravated robbery. She is still dealing with health issues that stemmed from that tasering.
"We need stricter laws to deal with violent youth offenders in this country. Otherwise, these young offenders are back on the streets in no time, and we retailers and our families have to bear the consequences."
A military-style academy for repeat serious young offenders was introduced last year, although participation was undertaken on a voluntary basis.
Reviews found the pilot had some success and a potential for improvement, with Oranga Tamariki signalling it may run another boot camp for young offenders before a law change kicks in next year.
Legislation currently before Parliament is expected to give judges the option of sentencing young people to a military-style academy for repeat serious offenders.
Thomas Kurian, a family friend of the Patels, said continuing the boot camp programme was a good idea "if implemented properly".
"While the police are doing their job in arresting them, problem is young offenders are let off easily in a few days," Kurian said, arguing that young offenders failed to face consequences for their actions.
Minister of Children Karen Chhour claimed the government had prioritised achieving a reduction in youth criminal offending.
"I have also introduced legislation, the Oranga Tamariki (Responding to Serious Youth Offending) Amendment Bill," Chhour said.
"Once passed, that will create a new declaration for young offenders to ensure they face tougher consequences and are better supported to turn their lives around.
"The [Young Serious Offender] declaration will provide more options for the youth court and police to hold serious and persistent young offenders accountable and make powerful interventions to improve their lives."
The minister said the government's stated target of a 15 percent reduction in children and young people with serious and persistent offending behaviour by the end of 2029 had not only been achieved but "surpassed".
"We've also achieved this in a way that will continue to get results long term, I believe this will keep getting better the more our improvements to the youth justice system bear fruit," Chhour said.
"Greater investment in transitional support for young serious offenders, greater coordination between courts, Oranga Tamariki and police, the military-style academies and innovative government-funded community-led re-offending reduction programmes have all contributed to this hugely meaningful result."
Sunny Kaushal, chair of the ministerial advisory group on retail crime, said his team would start work on youth offending soon, which he described as being a "serious problem in parts of the country".
"We have delivered five reports so far to government proposing law changes - from shoplifting, to trespass, to citizens' arrest and move-on orders," Kaushal said. "Our next priority is youth offending."
Kaushal called for law changes to include public safety and parental accountability.
"I can't comment on specific measures at this time, but I am personally concerned about how we deal with parents who have created an environment that contributes to their children offending," he said.
"In terms of young people, I think we need a stronger focus on public safety. We have too many victims being seriously injured or worse."
