A top Victorian judge says media coverage around crimes committed by Australia's African communities is not only incorrect but "dangerous".
A spate of crimes involving Australians of African heritage over the past year triggered debate over whether or not there is a "crisis" with African "gangs" in the country - particularly, in Victoria.
But County Court Chief Judge Peter Kidd has dismissed the claims, saying the media is giving disproportionate attention to these crimes.
"I can say that in general terms, most of our work, the vast, vast majority of our work does not involve Africans," he told ABC's Four Corners.
Peter Kidd talks to Four Corners. Source: Four Corners
"If you are an African offender, and certainly if you're an African youth of South Sudanese background from the western suburbs of Melbourne, rest assured your case will be reported upon.
"The media choose to report upon those cases. That creates an impression that we, that our work, a very significant proportion of our work is taken up with African youths from the western suburbs of Melbourne. That's a false impression."
Mr Kidd also said the media was unfairly criticising how judges were too soft on young offenders.
"Criticising the courts is part of the democratic process. I welcome informed criticism," he said.
"Unfortunately, a lot of the criticism that occurs is not informed, and it's not balanced, and it's not fair.
"That's dangerous, because that undermines their confidence in the justice system. That's our concern. It's an attack effectively upon the rule of law."
Victorian Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp (left) and Chief Police Commissioner Graham Ashton listen as African community leader John Kuot speaks. Source: AAP
Earlier this year, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton made headlines by saying people in Melbourne were "scared to go out at restaurants" at night because of African street gang violence.
"They're followed home by these gangs, [there are] home invasions and cars are stolen," Mr Dutton said.
According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, NSW had 20,051 youth offenders in 2015-16, Queensland 12,931 and Victoria 8,726.
Figures from Victoria's Crime Statistics Agency show Victorians born in Sudan were responsible for just one per cent of all crimes committed in 2017
But figures show the community is over-represented in some categories of crime. The agency said young Sudanese-born people committed three per cent of serious assaults, five per cent of car thefts and 8.6 per cent of aggravated burglaries in 2017.
Victoria Police has acknowledged there are small groups of African-Australian youths causing trouble but downplay concerns about alleged gangs.
