Nearly 3,000 children in the Australian region of New South Wales have received massive fines – some as much as $5,000 – for minor breaches of Covid restrictions.
According to data acquired by the Redfern Legal Centre via an FOI request, 2,844 children between the ages of 10 and 17 have been fined under Covid restrictions since last year. The fines add up to a total of $2.1 million.
Over half of the children in question were fined $1,000, while 39 were given fines of $3,000. 17 were fined $5,000.
Redfern Legal Centre’s police accountability solicitor, Samantha Lee, claimed that she had found examples of intellectually disabled children being fined according to the Guardian.
“These fines are enormous,” she said.
“It’s just absurd to even think we should issue such a fine to a child, there’s no way they can pay,” Lee said.
“We are gravely concerned about extremely high on-the-spot fines being issued to minors. We are calling on government to cancel COVID-19 fines issued to children, and to issue cautions instead.”
Redfern Legal Centre also said it was concerned that many of these fines may have already reached enforcement stage. If children do not pay a fine then enforcement orders will be imposed.
These orders may include a community service order of up to 100 hours, and/or prevention from obtaining a driver licence, registering a vehicle, booking, or undergoing a driving test.
“We know that a disproportionate number of fines were issued in Aboriginal communities,” said Lee.
“Some of the children we are assisting received multiple $1000 fines in a single day. Crushing fines only exacerbate the significant disadvantage that many of our young clients already face.”