Hard line on gangs

Victoria cracks down on juvenile crims with tough new laws

VICTORIA’S government has proposed strict non-association laws for juvenile crooks amid pressure from Canberra to crack down on criminal gangs.

The state Labor government yesterday introduced to parliament legislation giving police powers to issue “unlawful association” notices to children as young as 14, preventing them from spending time with known gang members. Police Minister Lisa Neville said the laws would help stop the spread and development of criminal networks.

“This is all about not just dealing with crime but preventing crime,” she said.

The push comes amid a rise in youth violence in Melbourne involving gangs with links to the city’s Sudanese community.

State crime statistics show the number of aggravated robberies committed by members of the community are 57 times higher than the general population. The Sudanese community makes up about 0.15 per cent of Victoria’s population.

The issue has sparked a war of words between Premier Daniel Andrews and senior federal government figures, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.

The death of African-Australian Laa Chol, 19, during a party in a Melbourne residential tower block on Saturday has inflamed the debate, despite police ruling out gang involvement. A boy, 17, has been charged with her murder.

“There has been a tragic loss of a young life, we’ve seen this week,” Mr Dutton said yesterday, pursuing a link between the death and gang activity.

“There have been a great number of people who have fallen as victims of crime to these African gangs and it’s unacceptable.”

He blamed weak Victorian laws for allowing a problem with Sudanese gangs.

Federal Greens MP for Melbourne, Adam Bandt, said he was dismayed by the proposed State Government laws, labelling the move “guilt by association”.