Sentencing our youth versus rehabilitation

• the driver of the car had only held her P-plates for a mere 10 days;
• the magistrate had some serious questions as to the safety of the car she was driving in the accident;
• a witness gave evidence that he had seen another car driving in the opposite direction on the wrong side of the road immediately prior to the crash;
• the other two girls involved in the accident who sustained injuries indicated to the Court that they had forgiven the driver and, in fact, cried when the magistrate announced the penalty; and
• the driver last month made an apology to the parents of the deceased who was, after all, a close friend of hers.

Significantly, the defendant had given evidence, ultimately accepted, indicating that she had relived the accident every day, which in itself is probably a more potent punishment than any jail sentence is likely to achieve.

Given the weight of mitigating factors, one wonders about the utility of sentencing a young girl to jail (or the “university of crime” as it has been called in Australia). Arguably there is ample scope for rehabilitation for the perpetrator here. One young life has already been wasted in tragic circumstances - let’s not lose another one.

The driver has a responsibility to society to make amends for her wrongdoing. With the support of her family and the community, I think this is not only possible, but also eminently sensible.

That said, should she ever make the same mistake again, the Courts will have every entitlement to hand down a penalty of thunderous proportions.

I understand that the defendant has appealed her sentence. I wish her and the family of the deceased well.