Student crimes on the rise: Judge

National

THE number of cases involving students charged with stealing, armed hold-ups, drugs and homebrew are increasing, a district court magistrate says.
The ages of the offenders that appear in court are also decreasing, meaning that they are very young people getting involved in illegal activities.
Lae District Court magistrate Pious Tapil said this yesterday when sentencing Bracy Paul, 23, from Anglimp, Jiwaka to 12 months imprisonment for unlawfully entering another person’s premises on January 7.
Paul is a Grade 10 student
in a secondary school in Lae.
Police stated that Paul was informed by an insider who was a tenant of the rental premise at Kamkumung that the landlord had a huge amount of money.
Magistrate Tapil said settlements in the city were now facing such problems and many have complained of losing properties and money to the thugs.
Tapil told Paul that he could not let him go, although he was a student.
“If I let you go, you would be influencing other students in the school.
“I have to give you ample time in prison to serve as deterrent to you in the future and to others
who are trying to get involved in this.
“Courts will have to work closely with police to make sure law and order problems in
communities are kept at bay,” Tapil told Paul.