‘This stunt has failed’: Palaszczuk Government’s crime reforms slammed

The Palaszczuk government’s celebrated 10-point youth crime plan has been slammed as a failure amid revelations no juveniles have been slapped with one of the ‘even tougher’ measures promised. VOTE IN OUR POLL

• Years of fear: Youth crime victims

The Palaszczuk government’s tough on youth crime stance has been accused of falling flat after it was revealed no juveniles had been slapped with extended maximum sentences.

In the wake of the horrific Boxing Day home invasion that left North Lakes mother Emma Lovell allegedly stabbed to death, the state government responded to widespread fury in the community by strengthening youth crime laws.

From the 10-point plan released just days after the tragedy, which was paraded by the government as “tough laws made even tougher”, the maximum penalty for stealing a car was increased from seven years to 10.

Another key measure included a more severe penalty of 14 years if there were any aggravating factors including the offence being committed at night and using or threatening violence.

But no juveniles have been slapped with either of the increased maximum sentences since the reforms were legislated in March up until the end of September, according to government data released this week.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the data was proof the 10-point plan had failed. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the revelation shows the government’s celebrated 10-point plan had failed to deliver results.

“This was a cobbled together announcement that was big on political preservation but small on the protection of people,” he told The Sunday Mail.

“The state government must admit this stunt has failed and adopt the LNP’s policy of removing detention as a last resort to ensure hardcore repeat offenders are dealt with.”

But a Queensland government spokesman said sentencing was for the courts to decide, “not politicians”.

He insisted the strengthened youth justice laws made Queensland’s approach the “toughest in the country”.

“These amendments were backed by the LNP,” the government spokesman said.

“We are tackling the issue at both ends by continuing to invest in our police, and our early intervention programs to ensure we are diverting young people away from the criminal justice system.

“We know there is no silver bullet to addressing youth crime, which is why the Palaszczuk government is always open to new, evidence-based approaches.”

The spokesman revealed 40 serious repeat offender declarations had been made since legislative reforms were passed in March, while more than 2800 young crims had been charged with more than 5200 offences during the crack down on youth offenders.

The data on maximum sentences comes after the prevailing fears over crime in the community were laid bare in a poll which revealed three quarters of Queenslanders had made efforts to fortify their homes against thieves in the last 12 months.

The YouGov poll conducted exclusively for The Courier-Mail also showed nearly one in every five respondents felt mostly or very unsafe in their own homes and nearly half believed youth crime was either up or at crisis point in their suburb.