Melbourne, February 17: Two teenage brothers, who spent less than a year in youth detention for a brutal racial attack on a group of Indians which left one of the victims with permanent brain injuries, will not spend any further time in custody, an Australian court ruled today.
Victorian County court judge Christine Thornton said the 12-month detention order for the brothers, now aged 17 and 18 respectively, by the Children’s Court last year over the 2008 incident, was lenient but should stand because of the delay in bringing an appeal against the sentence, AAP reported.
Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) had appealed against the sentence given by the Children’s Court, with Chief Crown prosecutor Gavin Silbert, SC, describing it as “manifestly inadequate”.
However, judge Thornton confirmed the pair’s original sentence, saying though the punishment was lenient, the brothers’ rehabilitation would be impeded if they were again detained.
–PTI