'Why are you leasing the houses to them?' South Sudanese leader says Airbnb owners are partly to blame for the wave of crime linked to ­African-Australian youths

  • Airbnb owners share blame for ­African youth crime, Sudanese leader says 
  • Ring Mayar believes home owners are culpable for leasing to young groups
  • He questioned why home owners were not aware there would be any problems
  • Mr Mayar denied a 'youth gang problem' and accused media of unfair reporting

Airbnb owners and the media must share the blame for crimes linked to ­African-Australian youths, a South Sudanese community leader has said.

Ring Mayar, chairman of the South Sudanese Community Association of Victoria (SSCAV), said the owners of 'Airbnb party houses' had to take 'some of the burden' for sub-letting their properties to host out-of-control parties where homes were trashed, neighbours assaulted and police targeted.

Mr Mayar believes the home owners are partly culpable for the destruction and vandalising of their own homes by the Airbnb guests. 

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It comes after Mr Mayar (pictured) said that Airbnb owners were partly to blame for the destruction and vandalising linked to African-Australian youths 

Airbnb owners and the media are partly to blame for crimes linked to ­African-Australian youths, Ring Mayar, (pictured) of the South Sudanese Community Association of Victoria said

'What are the contracts in place, if I may ask the house owners, and how are they leasing these houses to the young people who may come with unruly behaviour?, he asked The Australian.

'Are they aware that when they rent houses to those kids, and there are so many of them, that there'll be problems?' 

When Mr Mayar took on the role of chairman of the SSCAV he promised to address crime rates and acknowledged the community had a problem with youth offending.

However, he denies his community has a 'youth gang problem' and instead accused the media of unfair reporting.

A gang of thugs of appearance have trashed a brand new housing estate's community centre and now use it to take drugs and peddle ice

'What are the contracts in place, if I may ask the house owners, and how are they leasing these houses to the young people who may come with unruly behaviour?, Mr Mayar said. (Pictured: A new housing estate's community centre found trashed and property destroyed) 

The South Sudanese leader more recently said his community did not have a 'youth gang problem' and instead accused the media of unfair reporting. (Pictured: A police car damaged when police arrived at a party at a Melbourne home where four police vehicles were trashed)

The South Sudanese leader more recently said his community did not have a 'youth gang problem' and instead accused the media of unfair reporting. (Pictured: A police car damaged when police arrived at a party at a Melbourne home where four police vehicles were trashed)

'The statistics indicate that there are no gang crimes with the South Sudanese or any other group. It's just the media which does that often [says there are gangs],' he said. 

'Stereotypes and discrimination become the forefront of ­reporting, therefore young people are unsettled in schools, some of them become homeless … this is the ripple effect of unfair reporting.'

Police made frequent arrests at the park but appear to have little effect in making African gang members leave the area and stop destroying the centre

Mr Mayar, who took on the role of chairman in May, promised a fresh ­approach to youth crime but believes that home owners also share responsibility for property damage  

Sudanese and South Sudanese-born people were 6.135 times more likely to have been arrested in 2016 than those born in Australia and 4.8 times more likely than New Zealanders, according to Crime Statistics Agency figures

'The statistics indicate that there are no gang crimes with the South Sudanese or any other group. It's just the media which does that often [says there are gangs],' Mr Mayar said

Mr Mayar and the SSCAV were angered by the Seven Network's Sunday Night program which last week covered 'African gangs' in Melbourne.

The group said that report indicated that the media were disregarding anti-­racial discrimination laws.  

Mr Mayar did apologize for a comment by former SSCAV spokesman Richard Deng, who said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should 'go back to where he came from'.

Mr Mayar works to address crime through educating youths about Australia's legal system, and by directly working with offenders when they get out of juvenile detention. Pictured: An Airbnb rental damaged by African gangs

Mr Mayar works to address crime through educating youths about Australia's legal system, and by directly working with offenders when they get out of juvenile detention. Pictured: An Airbnb rental damaged by African gangs

Menace to Society, linked to the infamous Apex gang, had its 'MTS' initials tagged on walls around the centre

Pictured: Menace to Society, linked to the infamous Apex gang, had its 'MTS' initials tagged on walls around the centre

 

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