Australia to Jail 10-Year-Olds: A Controversial Crackdown on Youth Crime
Queensland’s new laws will allow children as young as 10 to be sentenced as adults for serious crimes, a policy championed by the LNP government as prioritizing victims’ rights. While the government cites community outrage and claims it will deter crime, experts and international bodies like the UN condemn the changes, citing evidence that harsher penalties don’t reduce youth crime and violate children’s human rights. The legislation removes provisions favoring non-custodial sentences, increases the likelihood of lengthy police cell stays, and disproportionately affects Indigenous children. Despite data showing a fourteen-year decline in youth crime, the government maintains the changes are necessary.
John Q. Hosedrinker