moved for leave to introduce Bill C-228, an act to amend the Young Offenders Act and to amend certain other acts in consequence thereof.
Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank my hon. colleague for Fraser Valley East for seconding this bill.
The purpose of this bill is to lower the age limit which defines who is a child or a young person for the purposes of the Young Offenders Act. It will now include young offenders age 10 and 11.
Currently the police cannot charge 10 or 11-year-olds who are picked up for robbery or for viciously beating innocent victims. Eleven-year-olds are deliberately recruited by gangs because the law cannot touch them. These youth need help but the system is failing them. They are falling through the cracks and we cannot get them into the appropriate counselling or rehabilitation programs because the current law says they are too young.
If they are old enough to pack a gun or a knife, sell drugs or their bodies, then they are old enough for the justice system to address their problems. The sooner they get relevant help, the easier it will be to reverse their criminal behaviour.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)