In the early hours of the first day of this new year about sixty people waited in the main street of a small town in the Riverina. They were sober and orderly - waiting their turn to catch a cab home.
Upon this scene came three youths intent on causing trouble and eager for a fight. They selected a seventeen year old high school boy waiting with his girl friend and proceeded to taunt and abuse him. He offered no aggression - until one of the newcomers head butted him twice - and a second delivered a " king hit " from behind. The victim fell to the ground - and was pronounced dead when the ambulance delivered him to hospital.
Two young men are now in police custody and a third is being sought - but the question remains - why did this happen ?
When the matter goes to court more information will be gleaned. It is possible - even probable - that these attackers were drunk or affected by the drug " Ice ", but that is simply a reason for the attack - not an excuse.
What can we do to prevent similar crimes in future ? There is talk of curfews and alcohol free zones but the type of person who commits these crimes is unlikely to respect any set of rules implemented by the authorities.
The only answer seems to be a return to the laws of the past. If you start a fight and kill someone - that is murder. If you commit murder you spend the rest of your life in a prison.
Presently, murder seems less of a crime than in the past. Even a brutal murder rarely results in a custodial sentence of twenty years. Maybe that has to change. Certainly the family and friends of the victims would think so.
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