Teenager jailed for killing toddler

A teenager who stabbed a three-year-old girl through the heart in a murder that sent shock waves through Australia was sentenced today to 20 years imprisonment.

The murderer, whose identity was not released, was just 13 years old when in January last year he snatched the sleeping girl from her bed and murdered her before dumping her body in a patch of grass.

He pleaded guilty in February. Prosecutors have not released the victim’s identity.

He is one of the youngest people ever convicted of murder in Australia.

Sentencing him in the New South Wales state Supreme Court, Justice James Wood said he should serve a minimum of 10 years.

The judge described the murder as “exceedingly disturbing” and said it had a devastating effect on the girl’s family.

Wood said the murderer told police he broke into the girl’s home about 120 miles north of Sydney to steal computer games and decided to kidnap her for ransom but could not explain why he acted the way he did.

The girl’s family released a statement outside court saying the sentencing was one step toward healing the trauma and stress brought on by the loss of the child.

“We express our dismay that the values of our society and community can provide an environment that fosters violence and selfish behaviour, and which allows individuals to place so little value on life,” the statement said.