Police have arrested two teenage boys over two bushfires in Port Stephens last week.
An 11-year-old boy was charged today and a 15-year-old boy is currently at Raymond Terrace Police Station where he is expected to be charged.
On the 13th of October, emergency services responded to reports of a grass fire in Elizabeth Street at Raymond Terrace as well as a fire in bushland at Heatherbrae.
Over the coming days fire destroyed a number of sheds and burnt more than 5000 hectares of bushland in the Heatherbrae, Williamtown, Campvale, Tomago and Medowie areas.
The 11-year-old boy was arrested around 8.30 this morning and taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station.
A 14-year-old boy has also been charged with starting a fire at Rutherford yesterday.
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This is really shocking. My first thought is ‘Where were his parents?’. My next is that he be taken to meet people who had land or property damage done as a result so he can understand exactly what his actions have done. I don’t mean a flogging but a real life look at how people have suffered through his carelessness.
Arrest them and have charged like a adult if they want to go out and start these fire and put people lives at risk that’s what they deserve
I agree with Carol take the boys to meet the people who lost houses, properties etc then arrest them like adults, If they can do this then they deserve the full force of the law. They wont do it again
All fire starters should be charged with “attempted murder” any resulting deaths, they should be charged with murder. Any damage done should come out of their wages for life until paid back in full. We need more serious charges. Kids will continue to take risks when there is little to no punishment for such serious crimes.
It is time the parents should be made pay for all costs incurred if at 11 years old he is not made to understand the damage he has done.. he will grow up and do it again
Unfortunately this young man as with a lot of boys in the same age bracket cannot grasp the severity of what the repercussions of such an act are. Perhaps also there can be ” other issues” relating to the poor choice he has made in his behaviour . Parenting along with other social pressures can effect his lack of empathy for this bad decision he has made . Perhaps he has been bullied in school as I was or maybe he is just not real smart? We cannot judge him till we know him but I do feel making him help in the remediation of his mistakes would make a big difference in his life skills.
If the greenies did not close the forest and they did not stop back burning there would not be a problem. In fact the greenies should pay for life’s lost and damage done
my son as ASD and is 13, currently suspended for swearing at a teacher…and yet he would NEVER, EVER do anything like this, he is with me when he isn’t a school…cannot believe this….and how did he get to Heatherbrae from Raymond Terrace???
Stop blaming parents. No child can be under lock and key 24 hours a day. Kids lie to their parents where they r going….its ridiculous to name parent s for goodness sake. I wonder if ur child/children committed a crime, would u like to be blamed. The child is responsible for his own actions.
he WALKED 40+ minutes just to do that????
This young boy should be arrested and treated as an adult the devastation he has caused should be treated very seriously as he not only put lives in danger he also killed how much of our wildlife! a senseless act just for kicks absolute disgust as a parent I would not allow my children to act so stupid and if they did I would push for an extremely harsh punishment to try to teach them a lesson and deter other youngsters from doing the same thing!!!!
Yes debi, an 11 year old is still the responsibility of his parents, funny that. if he had a fear of what his parents would do if he was caught he wouldnt be lighting fires would he. Guess how impressed the parents would be for being held liable, guess what in the states you can be sued for parental responsibility. His parents should be responsible for a portion of the damage and he should be made to work to pay for the rest community service, a job, he’s old enough to light a fire he’s old enough to make it right.
Should be made an example of instead of a caution
should be mad an example of instead a caution
Both of them have done the crime, at 10 you know right from wrong. Now they should both be made to do the adult time. No Exceptions…
Matthew Sawyer – in regards to your comment you are 100% correct. If the greens didn’t stop back burning the majority of these would not be as bad as what they are as the back burning would have been done during winter.
Sentence to community service: helping people recover from the devastation and a day in the burns unit to see first hand the suffering people have to endure for the rest of their lives. I don’t believe placing him in an institution will make him a better person; training ground for bigger things.