‘It’s a joke’: Fed-up dad exposes crime wave
A Queensland father has demanded action on youth crime after a group allegedly tried to steal his family car while his children were inside.
Chris Thurley said his wife was taking care of their two-year-old and six-month-old children in their car while he was inside Townsville Willows Shopping Centre on Wednesday when the incident occurred
He said the group of youths were “cruising around” the carpark in a stolen Audi when they attempted to carjack his family’s vehicle.
“If my missus hadn’t jumped back in the car and locked the door when they pulled up beside her, my kids could be out there, my kids could be injured, my kids could be f--king dead,” he said in a video posted on social media after the incident.
The dad went on to accused the government of “letting this happen” as youth crime plagues parts of the Sunshine State.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk you need to do something about this before someone f--king dies,” Mr Thurley said.
Queensland is battling a youth crime wave with carjackings, knife-related crimes and home invasions on the rise in recent years.
“(The government) has the power to stop it but they just don’t,” Mr Thurley continued.
“Putting families at risk, it‘s a joke mate, and the police are powerless to do anything about it because they’re not f---king allowed to do anything about it.”
Police have confirmed they are investigating after reports that the occupants of the allegedly stolen Audi Q7 were involved in a disturbance at the shopping centre.
It’s alleged that the car was involved in the theft of fuel from a Kirwan petrol station at 10am on Wednesday.
Police believe the Audi was stolen from a Belgian Gardens address on Tuesday before it was found abandoned on High Range Road in Thuringowa Central at 5.30am on Thursday morning.
“Active investigations remain ongoing. Police appeal to anyone with information or who may have observed the vehicle to come forward,” a Queensland Police spokesperson said.
The Palaszczuk government has faced fierce backlash from the Greens and the opposition over its decision to push through controversial youth violence laws that include suspending its Human Rights Act.
The new legislation allows children as young as 10 to be indefinitely detained in watch houses as space runs out in youth detention centres.
“This is one of the most disgraceful acts I’ve seen from Queensland Labor since I was elected to parliament,” Greens MP Craig Berkman said when the laws passed in August.
“It is outrageous and heartbreaking to see how little regard Queensland Labor have not only for our democracy but for vulnerable young people.
“They also clearly have no regard for the consequences of their actions because if they continue down this path, youth offending will only get worse and there will be more victims across the state.”
Queensland Police have been contacted for comment on the alleged Townsville incident.
