Age change will mean kid crims go unpunished, police union say

Kids could go unpunished for intentionally committing crimes if a proposal to lift the age of criminal responsibility is implemented, the Queensland Police Union claim. VOTE IN THE POLL

A proposal by the nation’s Attorneys-General to lift the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 has been slammed by Queensland’s Police Union, who claim that kids between those ages who commit crimes would unfairly escape punishment.

It was revealed on Wednesday that Australia’s Attorneys-General, Michaelia Cash, commissioned a draft report, yet to be publicly released, that recommended the age of criminal responsibility be lifted to 12 years, with the consideration to later raise it to 14.

The consideration comes as Queensland, among other states, continues to grapple with the task of managing a youth crime crisis.

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers. (AAP Image/Claudia Baxter)

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers on Thursday rubbished the idea of raising the age of criminal responsibility, as Queensland’s Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman’s office said the government would monitor the work being conducted.

At the National Youth Crime Symposium – the first of its kind – Mr Leavers said the Union would not support changing the age.

“Lifting the age of criminal responsibility is not the answer in any way, shape or form,” he said.

Mr Leavers said if the age was changed juveniles under the age of criminal responsibility would continue to commit crimes but without consequence.

“There will be people older than that who will counsel young people to commit crime. Then by the time they get to 12 or 14, they can’t change those habits that have been ingrained in them for many years,” he said.

However, expert in evidence based policing from the University of Queensland, Professor Lorraine Mazerolle supports lifting the age of criminal responsibility to 12, as recommended in a 2018 report by former Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson.

“The age of 12, which, I know is a recommendation from the Atkinson report, I think is a very sensible age,” Prof Mazerolle said.

“This isn’t about having young people snared in the criminal justice system, this is about making sure we have early intervention.

“And when I say early intervention, we’re talking about those very, very young children born with foetal alcohol syndrome, those children that are showing very aggressive behaviour by age four or age five. And by the time they’re age eight, their levels of self control are very, very low.”

Queensland Minister for children and youth justice Leanne Linard, said there were currently no plans to lift the age of criminal responsibility, while a spokeswoman for Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said: “the government will continue to monitor outcomes by the commonwealth and states on this.”

Queensland Minister for Children and Youth Justice Leanne Linard said the State Government does not currently have plans to change the age of criminal responsibility. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Dan Peled.

Mr Leavers said it was “pleasing to see the AG Shannon Fentiman said she has no plans to do that.”

“We certainly would not support that in any way shape or form,” he said.

The two day National Youth Crime Symposium is an initiative of the Queensland Police Union, and is the first of its kind.

Mr Leavers said he was trying to bring everyone together to look at the overarching issue of youth crime.

“We’ve seen what’s happened in Queensland (and) across the country. I need local communities, councils, state and federal governments, NGOs and other interested groups to work together,” he said.

“We need to stop this generational cycle (of crime) which we have at this point in time.

“We need to bring people together with all different views to start a road map so we can move into the future, to try make a difference. Because what we are currently doing is simply not working.”