Jim
Conomos, a criminal barrister, with over 47 years experience in law, painted
a very grim picture of the world as he sees it, with his talk on "Juvenile
Crime".
He explained that there are many young people in
our community who are disadvantaged and as a result, revert to crime.
He feels that the general community, politicians
and particularly the 'shock jocks' do not have any idea of the sheer volume
of crime and the enormous time spent processing it. We should all visit
local courts and witness proceedings ourselves to gain a greater
understanding.
Most young offenders are uneducated, and do not
understand the basics of the system. There are very real considerations and
the courts genuinely try to foster rehabilitation. There must be fairness
and justice to all.
Juvenile crime is a major problem, and Jim feels
that it will only get worse, with drugs being the major cause in the
increase. Drugs are debasing the youth of our community, with governments
facing huge problems trying to eradicate them.