Plan for children to face life sentences draws wave of condemnation

“The government appears to be proposing legislation that dismantles what has been implemented in Queensland,” he added.

Police Union Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt said the government was moving in the “right direction” by recognizing that consequences apply for serious offences.

But he also warned that the government should not compromise the effectiveness of the reforms to confirm “minority views” that the changes are too strong.

“Compromising the purpose and effectiveness of this package of community safety measures to validate these minority views would undermine any value they would deliver to the Victorian community,” he said.

Gatt said the association had not yet seen the bill in full and “the devil will be in the details.”

The United Nations earlier this year accused Queensland’s “Adult Crimes, Adult Time” laws of violating international obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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At a lengthy news conference Wednesday morning, Allan repeated the new “adult time for violent crime” slogan 10 times. She began by reading a letter from the victim of a crime whose husband and son were seriously injured when a 16-year-old boy tried to steal a car.

Asked if he was confident judges would impose tougher sentences on violent offenders under the proposed laws, Allan and Victorian Attorney General Sonya Kilkenny cited statistics showing jail terms and longer sentences were more likely when matters were handled by adult courts.

Allan and Kilkenny have repeatedly claimed the crimes targeted were a “new type of crime” that had not been seen before.

Minister of Corrections Enver Erdoğan said that children sentenced under the new regime will serve their sentences in youth prisons and, in some cases, “age out” into the adult prison system. Young offenders who show promising signs of rehabilitation can be held in the youth justice system until they are 24, he said.

Where the Juvenile Court is primarily concerned with rehabilitating offenders, adult courts balance this with the need to deter and punish offenders and protect society.

The Victoria Aboriginal Legal Service said the announcement was inhumane and breached both rules and regulations. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights.

“Today we’re signing Victoria’s first treaty, and at the same time the Prime Minister wants to save the lives of children who make mistakes,” said the service’s chief executive, Nerita Waight.

“Victoria is a cruel and unforgiving state where children can make no mistakes… It is only a matter of time before we mourn the loss of a child at the hands of the state.”

The Human Rights Law Center said the reform would undermine Victoria’s human rights obligations and worsen the over-representation of Aboriginal people in prisons.

Monique Hurley, the centre’s deputy legal director, said the government should urgently invest in support services instead.

“In a worrying race to the bottom, the Allan government is copying the Crisafulli government’s harmful youth justice laws in Queensland,” Hurley said.

“The Allan government must repeal these reactionary laws that serve only as an attempt to score cheap political points.”

Victoria Greens’ justice spokeswoman Katherine Copsey said it was a “staggering capitulation by Jacinta Allan”.

“Today, Jacinta Allan showed that she is incapable of doing what works and will ultimately pursue failed policy that will not make our community safer,” Copsey said. “This is definitely frustrating.”

The Allan government is dogged by a wave of violent youth crime, including knife attacks that left a 12-year-old boy dead Chol Achiek and Dau Akeung, 15, were heavily criticized by Opposition Leader Brad Battin. He has repeatedly accused Labor of being weak on crime.

This week’s announcement comes after the Allan government tightened bail laws and banned the sale and possession of machetes to make it easier to arrest children.

Last year Allan backed off an earlier commitment made by his predecessor Daniel Andrews. increasing the age of criminal responsibility.

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