The Victorian Government is set to raise the age of criminal responsibility in the state from 10 to 12, under a bill introduced to Parliament today.
This is the age at which a child can be charged with, or prosecuted for, an alleged crime.
Here’s what you need to know.
The Victorian age of criminal responsibility
The age of criminal responsibility in most of Australia is 10. Any child younger than 10 cannot be charged or prosecuted by police.
The Northern Territory and the ACT have raised the age of criminal responsibility to 12. In the ACT, the age will rise to 14 next year.
Victoria announced last year it plans to ultimately raise the age to 14 in 2027, but today’s bill only mentions raising the age to 12.
The bill
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said the proposed law will “enable earlier intervention and diversion for young lower-level offenders”.
If the bill is passed, police can still charge children. However, warnings and cautions will be used to divert children from court.
Alongside raising the age of criminal responsibility to 12, if a 10 or 11-year-old is at risk of harm to themselves or others, police will transport the child to “someone who can take care of them”.
Opposition
Victoria’s Opposition Leader John Pesutto said the Premier’s announcement is “simply not enough”.
He said the Government needs to “invest in crime prevention [and] youth engagement programs.”
Pesutto criticised the Government for not clarifying whether it “is proceeding with its commitment to raise the age from 12 to 14.”
The Opposition didn’t indicate support for raising the Victorian age of criminal responsibility but said it would consider the matter.
