Mr. Speaker, as the justice minister dreams about changes to the Young Offenders Act, violent acts among youth are escalating and reveal why the Young Offenders Act should be scrapped.
Recently in my riding 20 to 30 youths converged on a south Nanaimo home and attacked a 14-year old girl. While most of the cowards involved rampaged throughout the home, some of the more violent youth in the mob severely beat Cammy Hamilton.
Unlike Reena Virk, this young girl survived, but the beating was severe enough that the girl was wakened every few hours by her mother so she would not go into a coma.
This attack is another example of how some Canadian teenagers are taking violence to a new level. It is also further proof that 14 years of failed young offenders legislation is to blame. Young people know they will receive nothing more than a slap on the wrist when they commit such horrendous crimes.
Reformers call upon this justice minister to forget about tinkering with the Young Offenders Act and to come up with something that finally protects Canadians.