The Victorian government has introduced a new bill to the state parliament to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12. If passed, Victoria will be the first Australian state to enforce a higher age threshold for criminal offenses. Currently, the minimum age of criminal responsibility is 10 for all states and territories except the Northern Territory, which raised it to 12 in August 2023. The Australian Capital Territory will also raise the age to 14 by 2025 with some exceptions.
The new bill aims to reform the state’s youth justice system to improve community safety and reduce young people’s offending. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan stated that the reform would address serious, high-risk, and repeat offending among young people while providing them with opportunities to turn their lives around.
Prior to the bill’s introduction, the Victorian government pledged to increase the age of criminal responsibility to 12 and eventually to 14 by 2027. Under the new legislation, children under 12 years old will not be arrested or sentenced for committing a crime but will be taken to a safe place and cared for by someone. The bill also includes measures to divert offending children from further involvement with the justice system and address issues related to recruiting children into criminal activity.
The Victorian government’s initiative is supported by the Crime Statistics Agency, which reported a significant decrease in offenses by 10-year-old children over the past decade. However, there has been a rise in offenses by teenagers aged 14 to 17, highlighting the need for effective measures to address youth crime.
While the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) welcomed the introduction of the new legislation, it expressed concerns about potential negative impacts on children aged 10 and 11. VALS CEO Nerita Waight emphasized the importance of prioritizing early intervention, diversion, and rehabilitation for young offenders.
In contrast, Shadow Attorney-General Michael O’Brien criticized the new bill for not effectively addressing the issue of growing youth crime. He argued that simply redefining the age of criminal responsibility was not a sufficient solution.
Overall, the new bill introduced by the Victorian government aims to improve community safety, reduce young people’s offending, and provide better support for at-risk youth in the state. Please rephrase the sentence.
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