Tuesday, February 19, 2008

'Poor, Nasty, Brutish and Short'

19 year-old aboriginal, Ashley Brooks, broke into the house of a 75 year-old great-grandmother, stole $60 from her wallet and then proceeded to beat her so severely that she was in a coma for 12 days, writes Andrew Bolt.  Judge David Parsons described Ashley Wayne Brooks' attack on Barbara Durea as sickening. He sentenced him to a two-year youth justice order. Judge Parsons said Brooks was avoiding jail "because of his youth and slight build, he would not fare well in an adult prison." and because Brooks hasn't "had much of a chance to date."


Meanwhile, Queensland judge, Sarah Bradley, (the one who previously called a mentally disabled ten-year old victim of gang rape a 'willing participant') has allowed a white teacher, who sexually abused an 11 year-old Torres Strait boy, time to prepare evidence for his case that he was educating him in 'traditional Islander practices'.

I struggle to remain calm when reading of cases such as these. I have to assume that either

i) Judges Parsons and Bradley hate aboriginals

ii) they view indigenous people as sub-human and hence not responsible for their actions.

Their refusal to punish these appalling crimes will not affect me living in my nice, wealthy suburb of Sydney. But it will condemn women living in indigenous communities to a life of rape, violence and early death.