Stolen Freddo: boy, 12, charged – The Age — A classic example of how shabbily indigenous peoples are treated in Australia, particularly in the West. Disgraceful.
Updated – Charge is likely to be withdrawn

AN ABORIGINAL boy, 12, will face a children’s court today charged with receiving a stolen Freddo frog.

The chocolate frog, allegedly shoplifted by the child’s friend from a Coles supermarket in regional Western Australia, usually sells for about 70 cents.

The boy, who has no prior convictions, also faces a second charge involving the receipt of a novelty sign from another store. The sign, which was also allegedly given to the boy by his friend, read: ”Do not enter, genius at work.”

The boy’s lawyer, Peter Collins, has lobbied WA police for the charges to be withdrawn, but authorities had failed to respond to his request, he said.

”It’s scandalous that a 12-year-old child should be subject to prosecution for a case of this type,” he told The Age.

Mr Collins said that when the boy last month missed a court date due to a family misunderstanding, police had apprehended him about 8am on a school day and taken him into custody. The boy was then imprisoned for several hours in the holding cell at the police station.