ADULT CRIME.ADULT TIME

ARE QUEENSLAND'S NEW LAWS WORKING?

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It was the brutal murder of a beloved grandmother in an Ipswich car park last year that reignited the push for tougher youth crime laws across Queensland.

Vyleen White, 70, was fatally stabbed on February 3, 2024, in a suspected carjacking in Town Square Redbank Plains Shopping Centre, 30 kilometres west of Brisbane.

Last week, a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to Vyleen's murder (and a raft of other charges, including theft) in Brisbane's Supreme Court. He will be sentenced later this year.

Vyleen's daughter, Cindy Micallef, said the family pushed to reform the youth justice system in the wake of the tragic death.

"You are fighting for your kids, and you are fighting for your own safety," Cindy said.

"They just need to be held accountable." Vyleen's murder was among several high-profile crimes that helped usher in the 'Making Queensland Safer' laws. The 2022 death of Brisbane mother Emma Lovell in a home invasion by teens was one such case.