Decrease in truancy sees decline in court cases

Reducing truancy is helping to bring down the number of Youth Court appearances in Wairarapa.

Figures released under the Official Information Act show 75 people have appeared in Masterton Youth Court in the past three years, of which three were convicted.

The Ministry of Justice figures show last year there were 21 Youth Court appearances in Wairarapa, down from 24 in 2011, and 30 in 2010.

Wairarapa police area prevention manager Senior Sergeant Carolyn Watson said Youth Court appearances were down due to police using more "alternative actions" to deal with youth offenders, such as family group conferences facilitated through Child, Youth and Family.

"Because really, Youth Court is for the top level offending and also where all our other avenues have been exhausted."

Other local initiatives included a "Rock On" programme, designed to reduce truancy. "Basically, if they're in school, they're not offending."

The most common offences caused by youth in Wairarapa were disorder, alcohol-based offending and wilful damage, Ms Watson said.

Nationally, 3015 people appeared in Youth Court last year, of which 198 were convicted.

The figures also showed Youth Court appearances had been dropping in recent years.

There were there were 3579 Youth Court appearances in 2011, also down from 3942 in 2010.

The majority of appearances last year were made by males between the ages of 14 and 16 (2430). However, the figures showed 564 young females also appeared.

Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft said unlike adult offenders, only around 20 per cent of youth offenders arrested by police were taken to court.

"The other 80 per cent are not let off, but they're dealt with by police firmly, promptly, creatively, in the community."

Most youth offenders police dealt with "aged out" and did not reoffend, Judge Becroft said.

District Courts general manager Tony Fisher said there were a number of outcomes which might occur after a child or young person appeared in youth court and admitted to the charge or had the charge against them proven.

Under the least serious outcome, police could decide not to take the case any further - the same as if the youth had never been charged.

At the most serious end of the scale, the youth's case could be moved to the District Court for sentencing. Other outcomes included a "conditional discharge" - where the youth was let off unless they broke the law again within a certain time, reparation, alcohol or drug rehabilitation, community work, or the child could be placed under the care of CYFS. APNZ