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Law must be able to stop dangerous boy
Hon. Tony Ryall MP
National Law and Order spokesman
4 August 2005
Law must be able to stop dangerous boy
National's Law and Order spokesman, Tony Ryall, says police should be able to prosecute a 13-year-old repeat offender who they fear will kill someone with his dangerous driving.
He is commenting on a report that Masterton police are powerless to prosecute the boy because of his age. This week police were involved in a car chase with the boy that reached speeds of more than 100 kilometres an hour in a residential area, during which his car became airborne. It was the third high-speed chase in five months involving the boy.
"This cannot be allowed to continue. This boy is putting lives at risk yet under the present law the police can't touch him.
"They say they fear people will be killed before he can be stopped.
"He has reportedly been referred to Youth Aid and to Child Youth and Family several times but no action has been taken. This is not good enough.
"National has a policy that will deal with this. We will reduce the age of criminal responsibility to 12 so offenders like him can be dealt with by the Youth Court and we can put him on the road to rehabilitation.
"Under Labour's soft laws, he cannot be charged in the Youth Court because he is under 14, but we cannot afford to wait another year until be commits another offence. That may be too late for someone," Mr Ryall says.
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