Authorities in NSW are pushing for a longer prison sentence for a bus driver who was involved in a fatal accident with a child.

A tragic accident that occurred outside Macarthur Anglican School in Cobbitty, south-west of Sydney, has sparked controversy and raised questions about the justice system. The incident involved a bus driver, Penina Lopesi, who struck and killed a 14-year-old schoolboy with her heavy vehicle in February 2023. While Lopesi pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving occasioning death, the sentence she received of two years behind bars has been deemed inadequate by the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions. As a result, the case has been brought to the Court of Criminal Appeal for further review and a hearing is set for November 21.

The footage displayed in court, captured by a security camera on the bus, showed students boarding and then Lopesi driving off, narrowly avoiding a tree before mounting a curb. The bus eventually came to a stop, and in the chaos that followed, Lopesi could be seen shaking her head and body in distress. As the students exited the bus in a panic and a crowd gathered, it became clear that a tragedy had occurred.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the boy's mother shared her memories of the last weekend she spent with her son. She recalled encouraging him to be kinder to his teachers because he only needed one more merit award to move up a level. Little did she know that receiving his school diary the day after he died would be a bittersweet moment. Inside the front sleeve, she found a merit certificate for history that he had received just hours before his untimely death. The pain of this realization will stay with her forever.

The sentence imposed on Lopesi, a one-year non-parole period, has sparked outrage and raised questions about the justice system's handling of such cases. The maximum penalty for the charge of dangerous driving occasioning death is 10 years in prison, but Lopesi was only sentenced to two years. The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions believes that this punishment is not sufficient and has challenged the sentence in the Court of Criminal Appeal.

The hearing on November 21 will determine whether the sentence was just and appropriate for the crime committed. As the community mourns the loss of a young life and grapples with the aftermath of this tragedy, it is a reminder to always be cautious and responsible on the roads. Let us hope that justice is served for the sake of the victim's family and for the safety of our roads.

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