100 kids aged between 10 and 17 involved in at least 30 crimes each in 2024

Young repeat offenders are causing carnage across Victoria, including one 16-year-old boy who is facing 32 separate aggravated burglary charges.

Victoria Police intelligence shows about 300 child and youth offenders are causing most of the harm.

Police are struggling to control a wild group of child criminals who are committing at least eight crimes a day, resulting in thousands of separate offences in the past year.

Figures released exclusively to the Herald Sun have revealed more than 100 kids aged between 10 and 17 years old were involved in at least 30 crimes each in 2024.

That number has tripled over the last five years.

There were just 34 youths offending at a minimum of 30 crimes a year in 2019.

The 103 repeat offenders recorded last year carried out at least 3090 crimes in 2024 alone, an average of eight offences per day.

The Victorian courts have been lashed by the police union and Opposition for what they have branded a “revolving door” of bail that has allowed teenagers to continue committing crimes while facing charges for previous offending.

Among the worst repeat offenders is one 16-year-old boy, who is facing 32 separate aggravated burglary charges.

In December, it was revealed another teenage boy had been bailed 67 times.

A 14-year-old boy in state care, who had 388 charges against him struck out because of his young age, led police on a chase during a three-day crime spree across Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs before being bailed for the 50th time in November.

According to the crime data, 39 16-year-olds committed at least 30 crimes in 2024.

In 2019, just seven 16-year-olds had rap sheets that long.

There were thirteen 14-year-old kids who had offended at the same rate last year, up from eight offenders in 2019.

It comes after the Herald Sun revealed in June a child criminal breached bail every three hours across the state.

A Victoria Police spokesman said officers arrested nine youth gang members, underage home invaders and car thieves across the state every day.

“Our intelligence shows around 300 child and youth offenders are causing most of the harm,” he said.

Annual crime figures published by the Crime Statistics Agency last month showed children aged between 10 and 17 years old were offending at their highest rate since 2009.

Kids aged between 14 and 17 years old were responsible for most child crime across the state. One in three child criminals is now involved in at least two crimes.

The Victoria Police spokesman said police arrested the same 7310 child offenders 23, 8210 times in 2024, and many of those were arrested under Operations Trinity and Alliance, which target youth crime and youth gang activity.

Police Minister Anthony Carbines said tougher bail laws that were brought in last year would help crack down on the worst repeat offenders.

“Any crime is unacceptable, especially those done by repeat offenders. That’s why Victoria Police are out 24/7 holding offenders to account,” he said.

Originally published as 100 kids aged between 10 and 17 involved in at least 30 crimes each in 2024