Children as young as 14 who commit “serious crimes” will be tried as adults under a Victorian government plan to tackle youth crime.
The state government said on Wednesday it would use an “adult period for violent crimes similar to those in Queensland, which is implementing a tough approach in 2024.
Children as young as 14 could be tried in adult courts, and could face life sentences under proposed changes to be announced by the Premier on Wednesday.
“We are introducing adult time for violent crime,” the Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, announced in a post on social media.
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A former chair of Victoria’s law enforcement agency, Mel Walker, described the proposal as “unusual, bad policy and anti-profiteering”.
“As a community, are we content to deal with children in such a way, and for years to come, when they are affected by the treatment of adults?” Walker told Abc Radio Melbourne.
Walker said a high percentage of children who come before the courts exposed to family violence or have violence committed by child protective services without family support.
“There’s a real sense of belonging for a lot of kids, which drives their involvement,” he said.
“But they don’t have the capacity … for this consequential thinking, because clearly and clearly, their brains are simply inexperienced.”
The state’s opposition leader, Brad Battin, said the Premier had no credibility and Victorians could not trust him to deliver on his promises.
“Today’s announcement is the primary pursuit of another headline with no plan to follow through and deliver,” Battin said.
Victoria is coming to the suring of crime rates, with crime offenses at 15.7% in the year to the middle of 2025, targeted by thieves, youth disturbances.
About 1,100 youths aged between 10 and 17 were arrested a combined 7,000 times, according to the latest crime statistics, which Victoria police said were children prone to serious violence.
Queensland enforces more serious adult crime, adult time “
This law allows youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for serious crimes such as murder, with a minimum of 20 years before parole.
The announcement in Victoria follows the state government backing plans to ban face coverings at protests.
Allan previously signed a blanket ban on masks and balaclavas at protests, but on Tuesday said the police could remove a protester with a criminal offence.