By agreeing to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 12 instead of 14, the Liberal government is once again failing Tasmania’s most vulnerable children.
Shadow Attorney General Ella Haddad said Labor supports raising the age to 14 and is disappointed that the agreement of state and federal Attorneys General does not go far enough.
“The support for raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 is clear,” Ms Haddad said.
“The UN is calling for it, along with experts from Tasmania including the Children’s Commissioner, and others nationwide.
“Labor has made it clear that we support raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 and we will be seeking amendments if the Tasmanian government goes ahead with legislation raising the age to 12.
“There is no evidence to support 12 being the age of criminal responsibility – rather the evidence clearly shows the younger a person is when they first encounter the criminal justice system, the more likely they are to reoffend.
“By backing this middle-of-the-road position, the government is failing young people when they need support the most, whilst doing nothing to reduce crime or keep communities safe.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deal with the root causes of offending including youth offending, which will not only benefit young people at risk but will benefit the whole community.”
Shadow Minister for Child Safety Sarah Lovell said the Government is failing to look out for young people.
“These are vulnerable children in need of early intervention and diversion, so treating them as criminals when their brains are still developing defies logic, Ms Lovell said.
“The ACT Government, which was the first Australian state or territory to act, has committed to 14, so why have Tasmania and the other states decided that they know better and committed to 12?
“The government does not need to adhere to this national decision – they can go it alone like the ACT and do the right thing by raising the age to 14.
“We urge the Liberal government to reconsider and take meaningful action that will give these children a chance in life, not sentence them to an unjust and uncertain future.”
Ella Haddad MP
Shadow Attorney General
Sarah Lovell MLC
Shadow Minister for Child Safety
