‘Failure to fit in’ feeding African-linked crime surge in Melbourne, by Rick Morton.

African youths causing a crime wave in Victoria are the product of eroded family units, trauma and an Australian society which does not sanction corporal punishment as a means of keeping them in line, claims a community leader.

Gangs of teenagers and young adults have been contributing to a surge in crimes, particularly in Melbourne’s east where carjackings, burglaries and theft are on the rise. But one of the defining characteristics of the young ­offenders is boldness and apparent indifferent to consequences.

Africa Media Australia chief executive Clyde Salumu Sharady told The Australian there is an increase in crime among young people broadly but particularly African youths, especially South Sudanese teenagers. …

Crime generally in Victoria is up 12.3 per cent in the past year. Violent crime has increased, as has theft. ….

The South Sudanese population in Victoria has grown sixfold since 2001 and there are now more than 7000 living in the area.

Victoria Police chief Graham Ashton said his force is “arresting the same young people again and again and again”.

Mr Sharady said bail laws, loosened under the Andrews government to make custody a last resort, “played in the minds of teenagers” who regard youth detention as “pretty much nothing”.

He said their fathers’ morale was also damaged by the struggle for even low-skilled work and payment of welfare mostly to mothers.

“So the mother becomes the breadwinner in that sense; the father can’t discipline their kids the way they wanted and a lot of the time they feel uncomfortable and useless, so they go back home,” he said.

Who is responsible for this? How can we remove them from a position of authority? What now?