Offbeat News

An alcoholic nine-year-old boy has become Victoria’s youngest prisoner.

A two-year crime spree has led the pint-sized menace to be locked up in a secure welfare unit this week, News Ltd newspapers report.

Authorities are working to cure him of alcoholism and prevent him from criminal acts.

The boy, who first offended when he was seven, has come under police notice 35 times in two years.

His crimes have been car theft, stealing from cars and chroming. He was also a suspect in a violent assault on a train.

The boy cannot be charged as he is too young, and he has taunted police about this.

Department of Human Services spokesman Brendan Ryan confirmed the child had been locked in secure welfare.

“He receives daily intensive case management with specialist child support workers and has an additional case worker,” Mr Ryan said.

“We are continuing to work with support agencies and police to manage this child’s challenging behaviour.

“A lot of people have been working hard to try to turn this child’s life around.”

Opposition community services spokeswoman Andrea Coote said the case was “horrendous”.

“This is an absolute disgrace. The new minister should make it her top priority,” she said. “This child is nine - there are obviously some significant problems.”

Source: Australian AP

Editor’s Response:

My very first thought would be what exactly a violent assualt on a train might be? I’m hoping it was an attack on a passanger and not the train itself. In all seriousness, even though he was not arrested, being involved with the police 35 times by age 9 is crazy. I remember a young boy in the Southern US a few years back who stole a car and crashed it, after realizing he was too young to be prosecuted he went out the next day and did the same thing for some ‘fun’. Seems to me the laws for young minors should be ammended a bit, or at the least the state should take custody and provide more adequate supervision. Your thoughts?

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