The Unshackled Waves Ep. 116 In Focus Show on Victoria’s African Youth Gang Crime Wave

Video Version

Show Description
The biggest news story in Australia over this holiday period has been Victoria’s African Youth Gang Crime Wave which has turned into tsunami with violent crimes being committed all throughout Melbourne particularly in the city’s west by men described as being of African appearance. We decided to look at this issue in detail by documenting all the crimes that have been committed, the reactions to it from Victorian authorities and other political observers as well as exploring possible solutions.

Do to this we are joined by fellow Melbournian Associate Editor of the Unshackled Tom Pirrone. Tom himself was a victim of African crime as his phone was stolen while leaving the Melbourne Milo event which was outside a Melbourne housing commission. He is only able to join us via phone call as his new phone has poor Skype quality.

We look at the timeline of the recent high profile African gang crimes including muggings and gang fighting on St Kilda Beach, an Airbnb property trashed in Werribee, a police officer attacked at Highpoint Shopping Centre, a Tarniet community centre trashed and a gang crime spree which included a home invasion and a carjacking in Melbourne’s West.

The reaction of the Victorian authorities has been slow to say the least, first they claimed it was only a youth crime problem, then concerned it was African youths and then finally admitted there were street gangs. There is still a fair amount of crime deniers among the political class and in the media commentate, they openly mocked Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton saying that many Melbournians were scared to go to restaurants at night. We also saw the usual claims the concern about African crime was motivated by race and the real cause of the problem is poverty and disadvantage.

We also explore possible solutions which needs to include some sort of shake up to the culture of the judiciary who are handing out lenient sentences and releasing violent youth offenders on bail. We need to try teenager offenders as adults so they cannot escape with the slap on the wrist they get in the Children’s Court. We also need to deport where we can violent African youth offenders and rethink allowing further immigration from the African nation of Sudan which is the background of most of this youths.