Sunday, November 15, 2009

Choclate Theif

A 12-year-old Aboriginal boy has been charged with receiving a 70 cent Freddo Frog chocolate allegedly stolen from a supermarket in regional Western Australia.

Fairfax newspapers say the boy has no prior convictions.

He's been charged with receiving the chocolate, allegedly stolen by a friend, and faces a second charge involving the receipt of a novelty sign from another shop.

The boy will face Northam Children's Court, about 100km from Perth, on Monday.

His lawyer, Aboriginal Legal Service chief Peter Collins, has asked police to withdraw the charges but has not received a response.

"It's scandalous that a 12-year-old child should be subject to prosecution for a case of this type," he told Fairfax.

Mr Collins said the boy had missed an earlier court date because of a family misunderstanding and was apprehended at 8am on a school day and locked in a cell in "appalling" conditions for several hours.

A WA police spokesman said it's appropriate to have the court deal with the boy, because police have been forced to speak to him about other matters previously.

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