A young girl facing more than 100 charges, including allegedly using cars as weapons to target Jewish people, has had all charges withdrawn because she is considered too young to understand that her behaviour was wrong.
Charges Withdrawn Due to Age
The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was initially charged with 109 offences, including reckless conduct endangering serious injury, theft, motor vehicle theft, and burglary. However, Victoria Police have confirmed that all charges have been dropped.
'The charges were withdrawn because the police prosecution was unable to rebut the legal presumption that a child aged 13 and under is incapable of committing a criminal offence,' a police spokeswoman stated. 'This is a high legal threshold that requires the prosecution to prove the child knew their conduct was seriously morally wrong.'
The offending occurred when the girl was 13 years old.
Alleged Incidents
A children's court previously heard that the girl was allegedly behind the wheel of a stolen car that rammed into a 45-year-old cyclist in Brighton, southeast Melbourne, on March 30, causing a brain bleed. Detective Senior Constable Jarryd Grey told the court that within three minutes of the incident, she Googled 'how long the sentence is for running someone over.'
Other alleged incidents included anti-Semitic remarks shouted at pedestrians in Hampton, Ripponlea, and Caulfield, and swerving towards a Jewish family in Ripponlea, causing them to flee. The court also heard of a web search for 'where do Jews live.'
'She is going out of her way to target a certain community,' Det Grey said. The prosecutor noted that the teen allegedly offended an average of 1.45 times per day over 74 days and had 'not only repeatedly been behind the wheel of a stolen car, but is weaponising them.' The court heard that the girl thrived on notoriety, believing it gave her 'status in her group.'
Political Reaction
Premier Jacinta Allan described the behaviour as unacceptable, pointing to her government's bail law reforms, 'adult time' for violent crimes, and the introduction of the violence reduction unit. When asked whether it was acceptable for the teen to have charges dropped because she didn't know right from wrong, Allan said, 'I don't think it is. I'd suggest most people at most ages know the difference between right and wrong.'
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny highlighted the government's 'nation-leading' violence reduction unit and toughened crime laws as effective preventative measures. 'No young person should think they are immune from serious consequences,' she said.
Opposition spokesman David Southwick criticised the decision, stating, 'For that person to be able to Google the punishment, but be too young to fit the punishment is completely ridiculous.'
