This is a disgusting situation! This child should be receiving help and care not punishment for stealing to survive! What is wrong with this country that we jail children? Trudy SMH Boy, 11, held in centre for five weeks Date: 12/04/00 Lawyers in Queensland have reacted angrily to the continued detention of an 11-year-old boy who has been in custody for five weeks. The boy will appear before the Children's Court in Gladstone today charged with stealing food and clothing. He has pleaded guilty to the offences. The boy, from Townsville, is being held in the Sir Leslie Wilson Detention Centre because a magistrate decided he was likely to break bail. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services secretariat's national solicitor, Mr Geoffrey Atkinson, said the detention of the boy was a travesty of justice. "We remind people that the Aboriginal deaths in custody report clearly indicated that the detention of juveniles, particularly at a young age, is something to be avoided at all costs," he said. "Wherever possible, children, particularly if they are of a tender age, should be diverted to the care of community-based organisations. "Detention will have a devastating effect for any person of that age who is ripped away from their family and their schooling environment." Mr Atkinson said prosecutors were bringing too many cases to court for minor infractions or confrontations with police. -Greg Roberts This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited. -- _________________________________ Truth is a pathless land. --- Krishnamurti ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
