What namby-pamby judicial nonsense is this?
Alf is choking on his porridge after reading that…
Police will meet the 14-year-old boy accused of being involved in an attack on a police officer with a machete near Taihape, to see if his charges will be elevated to the district court.
Meet with him to do what?
Indulge in chit-chat over a cuppa?
It may well be that talking with this young feller is obligatory for reasons that have not been explained in the Stuff report.
If that be so Alf will be talking with Simon Power about changing things so the buggers accused of being involved in cases like this in future can be flushed into the open without ceremony.
The lad has not come to police attention for something inconsequential like pinching a few apples from a neighbour’s backyard orchard or tugging on the plaits of the lass who sits in front of him at school.
Nah. The offences with which he has been charged are much too serious to entitle young defendants to be coccooned by a system of youth trials and family conferences.