Victoria Government Faces Backlash For Dropping Plan To Raise Age Of Criminal Responsibility To 14

In a major policy reversal, Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan backed out from the phased increase of the age of criminal responsibility to 14 by 2027, with legal and human rights groups denouncing the decision as betrayal of vulnerable children.

While announcing several changes to the Victoria government's 1000 youth justice bill on Tuesday, Allan said the legislation had recommended the age to be raised from 10 to 12, reported The Guardian.

"The legislation before the parliament will raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12, and that is where it will stay," Allan said, adding that Victoria was the first state to raise the age from 10.

In 2023, then-Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14, in a phased manner -- increased to 12 in 2024, and then to 14 in 2027.

The new legislation introduced in June this year excluded the phased increase of the age of criminal responsibility to 14 by 2027.

Even though Allan justified her government's decision as being made "at a different time, by a different government with a different premier," it drew criticism from different rights groups including Amnesty International Australia, Jesuit Social Services and Save the Children, and Indigenous organizations.

Children lack the maturity or cognitive function to comprehend criminal responsibilities, they pointed out.

A "heartless move" that would "break children's lives and cause avoidable lifelong harm," blasted Monique Hurley, the associate legal director at the Human Rights Law Centre.

Meena Singh, Victoria's commissioner for Aboriginal children and young people, said the move would impact especially children from vulnerable backgrounds.

"These are the children, and their families, who need holistic supports so that criminal behavior does not ruin their lives, and create more victims of crime," she said.

The state's truth-telling body, the Yoorrook Justice Commission, stated that increasing the age would have been a "critical step towards rectifying historical injustices faced by First Peoples."

Nerita Waight, the chief executive of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, said it was "treacherous betrayal" of First Nations children.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Shane Patton said he was pleased with the government's decision.

The state's Bail Act was tabled along with the Youth Justice Bill before the Parliament on Tuesday.

Changes in the Bail Act will include carjackings and home invasions as offenses that pose unacceptable risk to community safety, ABC News reported.

According to the ABC report, Labor MPs have been voicing concern over raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years.

The Bill recommends appointing an additional magistrate to the Children's Court and expanding Victoria Police's team of prosecutors.

Allan said the proposed changes will give power to the police to apply for the bail to be revoked. The government also plans to include separate provisions for aggravated burglary, carjacking, murder or rape, while on bail.

As part of a more intense bail supervision, the government will introduce trials with electronic monitoring.