INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Australian state of Queensland has passed laws which will see children as young as 10 subject to the same penalties as adults if
convicted of crimes such as murder, serious assault and break-ins.The government says the harsher sentencing rules are in response to
showing that tougher penalties do not reduce youth offending, and can in fact exacerbate it.The United Nations has also criticised the
reforms, arguing they disregard conventions on the human rights of children and violate international law.The Liberal National Party (LNP) -
Premier David Crisafulli said after parliament passed the bill on Thursday.Leading up to the vote, both sides of politics had claimed that
Queensland was in the grips of a youth crime wave, and that a more punitive approach was necessary to combat the issue.But data from the
Australian bureau of statistics, shows that youth crime has halved in Queensland across the past 14 years, that it hit its lowest rate in
recorded history in 2022, and has remained relatively steady since.Figures from the Queensland Police Service and the Australian Institute
which will now be subject to harsher prison sentences when committed by youths, including mandatory life detention for murder, with a
non-parole period of 20 years.Previously, the maximum penalty for young offenders convicted of murder was 10 years in jail, with life
favour non-custodial orders, such as fines or community service, for children rather than incarceration - and will make it possible for
with international standards, that Indigenous children would be disproportionately impacted and that more youngsters were likely to be held
in police cells for extended periods because detention centres are full.Queensland already has more children in detention than any other
week, said the laws could have unintended consequences for victims, with children being less likely to plead guilty given the tougher
sentences, resulting in more trials and longer court delays.Source: BBC--Agencies
