“In Victoria, the law allows for kids as young as ten to be charged with a crime, brought before the court, and locked up. The age a child can be held criminally responsible in every Australian state and territory is ten—one of the lowest in the Western world and in breach of international human rights law.
In May, Victoria’s Youth Justice Minister, Ben Carroll, released a strategic plan outlining the state government’s ten-year vision for the youth justice system. The plan aims to reduce the number of young people in the system and improve community safety.
But the 53-page document makes no commitment to raise the age of criminal responsibility, instead abdicating the decision to the Council of Attorneys-General who are currently reviewing the age.” – Warrick Jones
It seems ludicrous that in Australia children the age of 10 can and do get prosecuted by police in court for criminal offences. How it is that a child for whom we as a society have the responsibility to care for, all of a sudden bares criminal legal responsibility for their actions at the age of 10? it’s nuts, and has shocking outcomes for the children and families who are brought into the criminal justice system at such a young age.
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