Youth crime
Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO (Northern Metropolitan) (09:55): Chol Achiek, 12 years old, and Dau Akueng, 15 years old: these are the names of the two young Victorian boys – children – who were murdered over the weekend in a tragedy that should have never happened. They were basketballers, they were sons, they were friends and they were loved deeply by their families and their communities. Last night hundreds gathered in a community-led vigil. In just two weeks, four young people from this community have been lost – a community pleading for help and still met with no urgent action. Mr Akueng, father of Dau Akueng, repeatedly reached out to police regarding concerns and yet was met with no action. Despite repeated attacks, the police have failed to protect them. To date, there have been no arrests and there has been no justice. The South Sudanese community, like so many multicultural communities, is begging for support, and I join their calls against racialised violence, overpolicing and systemic neglect that go beyond the weekend’s tragedy. It took the Premier 48 hours to respond to this tragedy. My question is: would this silence have lasted this long if these boys were not black? I demand equity, inclusion and care for this community, and my deepest condolences and prayers are with the families and communities of Chol and Dau. Rest in power, beautiful boys.