What makes a boy steal a car?
Morocco Tai died in a police pursuit at just age 15.
At the time of his death, he was facing an aggravated robbery charge and had beencaught in the passenger seat of a stolen car.
He was one of many boys
What stopped this kid from stealing cars? How one troubled teen turned his life around
NZ Herald
3 mins to read
Subscribe to listen
Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Speaking to RNZ, the teen revealed he got sucked into the life of crime in attempts to make a quick dollar.
"Stealing cars, and everything, robbing shops. You name it I've done it, eh. Crashing cars through walls. Everything," he said.
"Me, ah f***ing hell, I was just troubled eh, I needed a bit of money."
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Josh described his late childhood as a life of drugs, alcohol and no food in the fridge. He would do anything to survive and get ahead in life, even if it meant stealing cars or robbing stores for money, or scavenging food.
He told RNZ's John Campbell thousands of kids like him are growing up in New Zealand with a troubled way of life and no light at the end of the tunnel.
Youth worker Sully Paea believes a lot of young people in New Zealand struggle with their confidence, personal identity, poverty, and anger with their family dynamics.
Paea said many troubled youth lack an understanding of their roots and struggle with feeling a sense of belonging - a reason many turn to gangs.
He also suggests a lack of success and education is crushing to young peoples' confidence and can send them down a path of failure.
"By the time you reach intermediate and high school, you're destined to fail. They get to a point where they realise 'there's no hope for me'.
"When you lose hope, you're lost, totally lost. So that's what a lot of our youth today are facing."
A year ago something changed in Josh's life. He swiftly turned a life of haplessness to one of direction, purpose, and enjoyment.
Last year Josh become a father to a young boy.
"It changed my life. It got me out of trouble.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
"Everyone needs a strong male figure in their life. If you ain't got a dad then they're going to turn to the street life.
"I'll be around to make sure my son lives a good life."
Josh now has a job and has ambitions and dreams, and credits his son as the motivation for change.
No one can bring back Morocco Tai and the many other teens who have died but Paea backs up Josh's belief that youth of today need positive male figures in our communities.
He said youth need someone to encourage them and steer them in the right direction when they stray onto the wrong path.
