The hope that at last we were, seeing some semblance of justice in our community after the introduction of new bail laws has been wiped, by the reports in the Herald Sun, 22nd of July 2025, that a 15-year-old thug has been released without further supervision, because ‘he wouldn’t comply anyway’.

It is reported that the thug first came under police notice at the age of 11 and since then has racked up over 400 offences and been bailed over 50 times, continually breaching Bail.

This case highlights the inadequacy of the justice system, the judiciary, and Child protection, which have failed dramatically.

It is time these bureaucrats are held accountable, and if their current management can’t deliver good results, then the solution is clear: remove them and find someone who will make the system work.

There is no need for an inquiry, the popular go-to diversion used by Governments.

What is needed is capable management with a focus on innovation and repairing a broken system.

What is particularly appalling is that, given the high number of offences that this juvenile has committed, why should the Court foist this one-person crime wave back on the community? They must take responsibility for the actions of this youth.

The courts will not learn that protecting the community is an essential role of their being. The chances of reoffending and the possibility that someone will get injured or killed by them are real.

The argument of avoiding this child thug from being institutionalised just doesn’t wash with the community, nor should it. This thug is the master of his own destiny, good or bad, and while he chooses bad, then the community must be protected, and if, consequently, he is institutionalised, so be it. It’s up to him.

The risk to the community from this thug is in the extreme range, with a real potential that he will kill or maim an innocent citizen in a high-speed jaunt he has regularly performed over his thus far criminal career.

The same risks apply to the thug himself, from which the risk of institutionalisation would be a small price to pay to protect him from himself.

If the worst happens, where does that leave the Magistrate who had the opportunity to mitigate that risk?

The Magistrate sentenced the youth to four months’ Youth Detention, meaning with time already served, he was able to walk from the Court back into society and his normal criminal lifestyle without any supervision.

The boy had previously had 388 criminal charges against him struck out, due to the doli incapax rule, which states that a child aged 10 to 14 can’t be held criminally responsible.

And that is how this rule change works against society and perpetrators alike. How can it possibly be that after being charged with 388 criminal charges, and multiple Court appearances where the judiciary would have berated him on his behaviour, the perpetrator still claims the doli incapax rule applies and that what he was doing he didn’t know was wrong.

There is an urgent need to place a cap on offending where the doli incapax rule allows protection against prosecution. After two or three Court appearances for a crime, the doli incapax rule for that individual must be modified and or removed.

If the Courts won’t do it, then the Legislators need to step in to protect the community.

The changes in the age of young people accessing protection by the doli incapax rule have now been exposed by this criminal as wrong, and the ages of criminality should be re-adjusted back to where they were.

The status quo allows for the intent of this rule and the age limits to be abused.

It is staggering that, as a country, we have offered this child protection and a new opportunity by granting him a Temporary Refugee Visa.

His abuse of this country’s generosity and the danger to its citizens, despite multiple chances, has demonstrated clearly that he has abused the gift.

He must now be referred to Immigration to take action to withdraw the visa and return the individual to his country of origin.