Teen killer Rouxle Le Roux faces home detention for her fatal hit-and-run on 15-year-old Nathan Kraatskow - a sentence blasted by the family of her victim.
- Rouxle Le Roux: Social media posts claim 'privilege' at play in sentencing
- Woman who killed boy with car joked about having to catch bus on Instagram
- Rouxle Le Roux: National calls for tougher sentencing after hit-and-run driver gets home detention
The 19-year-old was charged with dangerous driving causing death and sentenced to 11 months' home detention and 250 hours' community work, and was banned from driving for two-and-a-half years.
And as part of Le Roux's sentencing, she is not to possess, consume or use any alcohol or non-prescription drugs.
But Nathan's family are appalled and have set up a petition calling for the Crown to appeal the sentence.
"Even our daughter said to us, 'Mum, she's sitting at home. She can watch YouTube, she can watch Netflix, she can get Uber Eats,'" said Charlene Kraatskow.
What does home detention actually mean?
The Department of Corrections says home detention is both a "punitive and rehabilitation sentence".
It means the offender has to serve their sentence at a "suitable and approved residence" instead of in prison, allowing them to keep working, complete community work and rehabilitation programmes and maintain family relationships.
Electronic monitoring equipment is installed at the offender's address, and they will normally wear an electronic anklet monitor allowing them to be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The offender will be supervised by a probation officer, who requires them to report regularly.
Judge Stephen O'Driscoll says it is basically "a curfew at an agreed address".
"The offender must not leave the address at any time, except to seek urgent medical or dental treatment, or to avoid or minimise a serious risk of death or injury," he writes on the District Court website.
"An offender may get approval to leave the address to seek or do paid work, or to attend training or other rehabilitative activities or programmes, or for any other purpose specifically approved by a probation officer."
What happens if Le Roux doesn't follow the rules?
Corrections says if offenders doesn't follow the conditions of their sentence they will "treat it very seriously".
If Le Roux leaves her designated address without permission, an alarm will be triggered and a monitoring centre will send a security officer to investigate.
Breaching the rules may lead to her facing another conviction - or her sentence of home detention could be cancelled and she could be imprisoned.
Is it a soft option?
Barrister Marie Dyhrberg, QC, calls home detention a "tough sentence".
"It means that apart from going to rehabilitation, maybe being allowed to do some work, she is confined to her house. There will be very strict programmes in place for her and strict conditions that she undergo counselling and rehabilitation," she told RadioLIVE.
"I think what is best for society has to be the outcome. It will be tough for her, at her age, to be confined to her home."
But it's cold comfort to the Kraatskow family, who say she has to go to jail for at least three years or she won't have "learned anything".
"What about my son where is the justice here?" Ms Kraatskow pleads.
Newshub.
