With all the publicity the case has received, what is notable is the lack of compassion toward any of the children involved, whose lives will be profoundly affected. There appears to be no journalist who has even questioned the fact that a child of 10 has been charged with the second most serious crime on the books. The reporting itself has been undertaken without concern for its impact on the children or their families. The social conditions that contribute to such tragedies remain ignored and unreported. Macquarie Fields is one of the most oppressed areas in Sydney, with a high proportion of single parent families living in cramped public housing.
Unemployment is high and problems with alcoholism, drug abuse and domestic violence abound.
The estate was built 20 years ago near the Holsworthy Army Range. The noise of shelling is often audible. Young families make up the bulk of the population and the average age in the public housing estate is just 17. Funding cuts have meant that poorer families are unable to afford decent and safe childcare facilities. Reductions to teaching staff and school resources have meant that learning problems go unheeded, or are blamed on the child or the parents.