Inside a city under siege: How armed children as young as EIGHT are robbing and bashing locals leaving them too scared to go outside – and police seem powerless to stop them
- Footage has been uncovered showing violent youths throwing a city into chaos
- One video showed an allegedly stolen ute filled with kids as young as 11 joyriding
- One woman and her friend were car-jacked and set upon by up to 30 children
Children as young as eight have been running riot in a regional town, stealing cars, taunting police and bashing locals – while authorities seem powerless to stop them.
Shocking footage has emerged showing violent youths throwing the regional Queensland city of Townsville into chaos.
One video showed a group of youths viciously beating an adult and dragging them into the middle of an intersection.
Another showed an allegedly stolen ute filled with children as young as 11 joyriding down the wrong side of main roads, forcing other cars to slam on their breaks.
Young people have been running rampant around a regional town (pictured: young people drawing graffiti reading ‘crime pays’ on the streets of Townsville)
In another incident, CCTV footage showed tradies allegedly being threatened with a syringe before they were carjacked.
CCTV from a local McDonald’s pictured young people brutalising diners before staff kicked them out.
Shae Tucker told A Current Affair she was brutally beaten along with her friend Tegan Moore by a child she believes was eight years old, before the pair were attacked by a gang of 30 children.
‘They were screaming for the car keys,’ she said, describing the kids as ‘remorseless’.
Tegan also shared her frightening ordeal.
Shae Tucker (pictured with her injuries) said she was brutally beaten along by 30 children
‘I just remember kicking and screaming and saying ‘get away from me’ and they just didn’t care. There were people laughing,’ she said.
Local parent Tabitha Hurst works in a service station and frequently witnesses ’10 or 11-year-old drivers attempting to steal fuel’.
In one instance, she saw an underage offender wearing an ankle bracelet fill his allegedly stolen car up with fuel and drive away without paying.
‘I see kids as young as five and six stealing food and drinks and lollies – they have no fear of authority,’ she said.
Locals said they’re frustrated about the lack of consequences the young people face (pictured: underage people terrorising Townsville)
‘You can stand there and tell them to take it out and they’ll swear at you and call you all sorts of names.’
Acting superintendent Damian Crosby told A Current Affair police are trying to tackle the issue and they’re looking for a ‘core group of recidivist, high-risk offenders’ in relation to the carjacking.
But locals said that while they believe police are doing all they can, they’re frustrated about the lack of consequences the young people face.
Many attend court but end up back on the streets as a result of their young age.
Locals say they’re now scared to leave their homes.