Two children aged 11 and 12 stage armed hammer attack on Sydney nail salon
Children as young as 11 are being drawn into violent criminal acts, with police warning of a youth crime surge.
Two children aged 11 and 12, along with a third person, walked into a Tregear nail salon late last month demanding cash and wielding a hammer. One of them lunged at the 55-year-old worker.
Across Sydney, 12 to 15-year-olds recently swarmed a bottle shop, fighting staff and stealing drinks. Police and crime experts say younger children are being pulled into serious violent crimes faster than before.
Encrypted phone apps and social media let kids move from minor crimes into violent acts within just weeks. The Australian Federal Police warned parliament that "Australia is at the crossroads of a tsunami of youth crime".
Youth crime rates across NSW are mostly stable or falling, except for murder and some forms of assault. Young offenders are often paid very little, sometimes just $500, by overseas crime bosses who exploit them because they are cheap and expendable.
- 11 and 12 years old
- Attackers' ages
- $500
- Payment to young offenders
- Almost 50 of 530 arrests this year
- Children arrested by Taskforce Falcon
- Within weeks via digital apps
- Crime transition speed
Why it mattersIt signals a shift in criminal networks toward younger recruits, raising safety concerns across Sydney and changing how police must respond.
AustraliaNSW residents are seeing violent crimes committed by children younger than in previous decades, affecting public safety in shops, salons, and community spaces.
Corroborated bytheage.com.au·watoday.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
