NSW: Teenagers caught lighting fires may face bushfire victims

AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-2001
NSW: Teenagers caught lighting fires may face bushfire victims

By Roz King and Sharon Mathieson

SYDNEY, Dec 28 AAP - Three teenagers who have admitted lighting fires may be punished
by facing bushfire victims, NSW police said today.

However, a final decision on their fate has not yet been made and authorities had not
ruled out charges being laid.

Two other people have been arrested for lighting fires at Carramar in Sydney's west
and in Canberra.

The punishment for the three 15-year-olds, called conferencing, would not be a soft
option, said NSW Senior Deputy Police Commissioner Ken Moroney.

The teenagers were caught setting fire to bushland at Shellharbour, near Wollongong,
around 7pm (AEDT) last night, Mr Moroney said.

The fires were quickly extinguished by police and passing motorists, he said.

Police recommended the teenagers face youth conferencing and the recommendation was
being reviewed by the Department of Juvenile Justice, a police spokeswoman said.

"They have made full and frank admissions," Mr Moroney said.

"The conference situation allows for the young people to be confronted by the victims,"

Mr Moroney said.

"It may be argued that in this particular circumstance there is no particular one victim
by name."

The victims may include the Rural Fire Service, the fire brigade, the community of
Shellharbour and other victims that have suffered emotionally and physically from property
losses, he said.

"To sit and confront people in those particular circumstances is not an easy option," he said.

The teenagers may yet face criminal charges.

"No final decision to the level of prosecution has yet been made," he said.

State Opposition leader Kerry Chikarovski said talk of allowing the teenagers to bypass
the courts was incomprehensible.

"People who are deliberately lighting fires ... need to be taken before a court," she
told radio 2GB.

"To be making a decision just because they are juveniles ... saying this is appropriate
is wrong."

A 20-year-old man was caught at Carramar in Sydney's west allegedly lighting fires
along a railway line, Mr Moroney said.

In Canberra, a motorist made a citizen's arrest this morning when he spotted a teenager
allegedly lighting a fire less than a kilometre from Parliament House.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the 19-year-old man allegedly caught sparking
the blaze on Kings Avenue at 4.30am (AEDT) accompanied the motorist to a police station
where he was arrested.

"He was charged with lighting a fire in an open place and I believe he's been bailed,"

said AFP acting superintendent Gary Shute.

Supt Shute said there was no evidence to link the 19-year-old with other fires that
have destroyed 1,500 hectares of land in the ACT since Christmas Eve.

Meanwhile, a 35-member strikeforce to investigate the NSW bushfires began operation today.

The head of Strikeforce Tronto, Commander John Laycock, said there was only "minimal
intelligence" so far of arsonists lighting any of the 100 fires raging across the state.

"However, that's not to say it hasn't happened," he said.

"At this stage, we don't know how big the criminal side of the strikeforce is.

"As far as the strikeforce is concerned, if we get substantial evidence ... they will
be placed straight in the dock, no argument," he said.

AAP rk/arb/gmw/br

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES NSW ARSON NIGHTLEAD

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