Allan government announces ‘Adult Time for Violent Crime’ to put more violent youths in jail
Offenders aged 14 and over will face up to 25 years’ jail and could be hit with life sentences as part of the Allan government’s overhaul of the justice system to tackle violent youths terrorising Melbourne.
Violent youths terrorising Melbourne face more than two decades behind bars, instead of the current maximum three years, under a radical overhaul of the justice system.
Under Allan government reforms, children aged 14 and above who commit violent serious crimes will face adult sentences in adult courts.
Currently, adult criminals can be sentenced in the County Court to up to 25 years for home invasion and 20 years for machete attacks, while in the Children’s Court the maximum sentence for any offence is three years.
From next year, everyone aged 14 and above charged with home invasions, carjackings and intentionally or recklessly causing injury in circumstances of gross violence – including with machetes – will face trial in the County Court.
The Allan government will also increase the maximum jail sentences for aggravated home invasion and aggravated carjacking, which will now carry life sentences and also apply to any offender aged 14 and over.
The Victorian government’s radical crackdown follows an eight-month campaign by the Herald Sun to give a voice to terrified victims of the crime wave sweeping the state and highlight the broken bail laws and soft sentencing.
The tough new sentencing will be unveiled by Premier Jacinta Allan and Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny on Wednesday.
“We want the courts to treat these violent children like adults, so jail is more likely and sentences are longer,” Ms Allan said.
“Adult Time for Violent Crime will mean more violent youth offenders going to jail, facing serious consequences.
“I’m listening to the victims of these horrific attacks, and I’ll do whatever we need to keep people safe.”
Ms Kilkenny said: “We absolutely need serious consequences for violent youth crime to protect the community now.”
In the Children’s Court, only 34 per cent of children and young people convicted of aggravated home invasion or aggravated carjacking are sentenced to jail.
In contrast, when the same crimes are tried in adult court, 97 per cent of offenders receive jail sentences, meaning many of the hundreds of youth offenders terrorising the state will cop serious prison time if they continue to offend.
Soaring offences and the Herald Sun’s Suburbs Under Siege campaign have already prompted the government to ban machetes and reintroduce criminal charges for bail breaches and committing offences while already on bail.
Data from the Crime Statistics Agency, released in September, revealed crime levels as the worst on record, having jumped 14 per cent in a year.
The increase was largely fuelled by a cohort of about 1100 out-of-control kids aged 10 to 17 who police blamed for about 60 per cent of home invasions and half of all aggravated burglaries.
Regional Operations Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill described it as a “perfect storm” which he said “I haven’t seen before in my 40-plus-year service in Victoria Police”.
Victoria’s Adult Time for Violent Crime reform is similar to the Queensland Liberal-National Party government’s Adult Crime, Adult Time crackdown introduced late last year.
In Queensland, data showed victim numbers across nine major crime categories dropped by almost 10,000 people in the first nine months of 2025, compared with the same period last year.
And there were 5000 fewer offences, including 182 fewer robberies, 1452 fewer break-ins and 2064 fewer cars stolen.
The Victorian reform marks a U-turn by Labor, after years of softening law-and-order policies for young people.
Victoria raised the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 years under former premier Daniel Andrews – a change that came into effect in September – but the state has quietly shelved plans to raise the age to 14 by 2027.
The sentencing reform has also been flagged as the first of many major changes to be announced as part of a broad new Serious Consequences – Early Interventions plan.
It will require significant amendments to the Crimes Act, the Children, Youth and Families Act, and the Youth Justice Act. A new Bill will be introduced to parliament this year, and the change will come into effect in 2026.
Originally published as Allan government announces ‘Adult Time for Violent Crime’ to put more violent youths in jail
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