Kids as young as 10 will face adult jail time for a range of new offences after a state government passed its second tranche of controversial youth crime laws.
The “adult crime, adult time” laws now include 20 more offences after passing through during a late-night sitting in Queensland Parliament on Wednesday.
Young offenders can now face lengthy adult sentences for attempted murder, rape, sexual assault, torture and kidnapping.
“It is a significant day,” Attorney-General Deb Frecklington told reporters.
It is the second wave of the laws that were central to the Liberal National government’s pitch to voters at the 2024 election.
The first wave passed before Christmas despite outrage from youth advocates due to the lack of consultation, ensuring kids as young as 10 would face life sentences for murder, manslaughter and adult jail time for offences like grievous bodily harm.
The expansion of “adult crime, adult time” came in the wake of several serious crimes, including a teenager who was charged with attempted murder following the alleged stabbing attack on a supermarket worker in Ipswich.
But there has been long-running criticism from the United Nations and local human rights groups condemning Queensland’s laws as causing undue suffering to kids.
“We are extremely concerned that present approaches are creating a future underclass of Australians,” the latest statement from the United Nations’ Alice Jill Edwards and Albert K Barume said.
However, the criticism has fallen on deaf ears with Queensland’s premier.
“Here’s my message to the United Nations: you don’t control me, and I don’t answer you, I answer to Queenslanders,” Premier David Crisafulli told reporters.
“We make laws to deal with one of the biggest issues the state has ever faced, and it’s a generation of repeat, hardcore young offenders who were created by weak laws.”
This second wave of laws is not expected to be the last as the state continues to consult an expert legal panel for any further necessary changes.
“This will not be the last round of changes there will be more to come,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“Every change we make will be about strengthening the laws, not weakening them.”
The government has previously been criticised for refusing to release the expert legal panel advice on the law changes and has again ruled out publishing the information for the time being.
“I made a commitment that we would allow them to provide advice free from political interference and we would enable them to continue to do that while they had work to do,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“I think that’s reasonable.”
Other states and territories have also cracked down on youth crime amid Queensland’s law changes.
The Northern Territory is strengthening its bail laws following the fatal stabbing of a 71-year-old Darwin store owner allegedly at the hands of a teenager.
Victoria recently removed remand as a last resort for children while NSW made it harder for 14 to 18-year-olds to be released on serious charges while out on bail for similar offences.
