Qld youth crime crisis: Minister blames courts for not using tougher sentencing options

Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer says it is up the courts, not politicians, to impose harsher sentences, amid damning new Queensland revelations.

Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer says it is up the courts, not politicians, to impose harsher sentences, amid revelations no young offender had received the increased maximum sentences legislated earlier this year.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk introduced tougher penalties for youth crime in the wake of the death of North Lakes mother Emma Lovell in a juvenile home invasion on Boxing Day 2022.

These included an increase in the maximum sentence for unlawful use of a motor vehicle from seven to 10 years, and 14 years with circumstances of aggravation such as the offence being committed at night or with threats of violence.

But The Sunday Mail revealed at the weekend no juveniles had been slapped with either of the increased maximum sentences from when they were legislated in March until the end of September.

Ms Farmer said on Sunday: “Once parliament passes those laws – and these laws had bipartisan support – then it’s up to the courts to actually interpret the law.

“It’s not up to politicians to question them, or to instruct them to what do.

“So I guess it’s the parliament’s job to pass laws, which they believe will be effective in addressing the issue it doesn’t matter what the area is.”

Ms Farmer said they had given the courts the tools to make their own decisions.

Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli

“I’m not going to criticise the judiciary for not using that maximum penalty, but can I say that it is always open to police and police prosecutors to appeal any decisions that they believe are not appropriate,”

When asked if youth crime was a solvable issue, Ms Farmer said Queensland had the strongest laws in the country.

“Youth crime is an enormously complex issue,” she said.

“We’re building new detention centres, but they are therapeutic detention centres because we don’t want to see those young people back again.

“We are supporting victims, we are addressing the complex causes of youth crime.”

Ms Farmer said Opposition Leader David Crisafulli had a lot of things to say about why things weren’t working, however “all we have heard from him is three slogans”.

“If he is genuinely interested in providing solutions than he should submit his ideas to the select committee on which he has three members,” she said.

Mr Crisafulli said on Sunday it was clear the state government’s laws were soft.

“This was policy is all about the announcement and not about protection of people, and to know that nearly 12 months on, not a single young offender has got the maximum penalty shows you that this was always about dealing with a political issue rather than keeping the community safe,” he said.

“The broken system of the Youth Justice Act will keep going round and round in circles and it’s time and then it’s Listen to the community, to frontline police officers, to those people who are victims of crime and remove potential as a last resort.”