Arduous battle for rape’s consideration in LNPs ‘adult crime, adult time’ laws

Following months of pressure, the Crisafulli Government has listened to Queenslanders, and its advisory panel, and ensured that the offence of rape would be one of five juvenile crimes included in the Making Queensland Safer Laws.

At a press conference on Sunday, March 30, the state government announced the offence of rape would be one of five offences added to the Making Queensland Safer Laws. Picture: Patrick Woods.

A bill to impose harsher penalties and longer sentences for Queensland’s juvenile rapists was tabled in April when the Crisafulli government finally listened after months of mounting pressure from survivors, politicians from both sides of the political spectrum and outraged communities.

If the proposed bill passes, teenagers found guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault would also be subject to the news laws.

The changes came after the launch of the Fight for the Forgotten campaign which called on the government to include the offence of rape as part of their ‘adult crime, adult time,’ youth crime law reforms.

Statistics show the state is in the midst of a sexual violence crisis as the number of cases is rising faster than all other criminal offences, with police recording an 11 per cent increase in sexual assault crimes.

When teenage rapists are sentenced in Queensland, the average jail term receive was 2.6 years, however only 48.5 per cent of teen rapists were jailed.

Despite statists stating teenage boys account for a high amount of the state’s convicted rape cases, the crime was not included in the Crisafulli Government’s flagship “adult crime, adult time” laws.

The exclusion of the serious crime was made clear the day after the laws first passed in December 2024, when a Darling Downs teenager was given a lenient sentence for a violent, brazen, and premeditated rape.

The now 17-year-old, who was deemed a high risk of reoffending, will soon be released with no conviction recorded after spending 18 months in juvenile detention.

At a press conference on Sunday, March 30, the state government announced the offence of rape would be one of five offences added to the Making Queensland Safer Laws Bill. Picture: Supplied

Months prior, another Toowoomba Region teenager who was found guilty of raping girls was also sentenced to serve 18 months before he is released back into the community.

Communities across the state were outraged by the omission of rape not being one of 13 crimes that would be subject to harsher penalties.

A poll of 500 Queensland women conducted by the mastheads in January found that more than 99 per cent of women want to see the Queensland government bring in harsher sentences for juveniles found guilty of rape and to be made a priority over property crime.

If the new law changes are passed, judges will have the discretion to sentence juvenile offenders found guilty of rape, attempted murder, and arson to a maximum penalty of life.

Between December and February, Mr Crisafulli and his ministers refused to say whether or not the offence of rape would be included, or considered, stating it was a matter for their advisory panel.

The Katter Party blasted the government’s inaction, with MP Nick Dametto saying the glaring omission was “a slap in the face to all victims”.

MP Nick Dametto said “ We want to make sure that young people that have been convicted of one of the most heinous crimes in Queensland are held to account, We don’t want to see young people potentially going to jail for longer stealing a car than raping somebody.”

“The Premier needs to stop pushing for the matter to be dealt with by the expert panel,” he said.

“They should be able to consult with their own people internally and make their own decisions for Queensland.

“There is a simple answer to be addressed here, and that’s whether or not they believe rape of anybody, any age, should be considered an adult crime.”
During the first sitting of Queensland parliament in 2025 the Crisafulli Government refused to answer questions about the December rollout of ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ law reforms and the glaring omission of rape and attempted murder.

On February 18, opposition leader Steven Miles’s first question to Premier David Crisafulli during question time focused on the government’s controversial Making Queensland Safe Laws, which were rushed through in December.

The Government did not rely on an advisory panel when the first round of the laws were implemented, and following an alleged stabbing of an Ipswich Coles worker in January, when Mr Crisafulli promised attempted murder would be one of the crimes included in the reforms.

About 500 fed up Cairns residents gathered on the Esplanade for the Rally for Justice protest. in response to the sickening crime of an alleged gang rape of a woman at knifepoint in her own home on Friday, February 21. Picture: Brendan Radke

Pressure continued to mount in late February following a horrific incident in North Queensland, where a Cairns woman who alleged raped by multiple teenagers during a home invasion while her partner was held at knifepoint.

At a press conference on February 24, Mr Crisafulli said despite “complexities” involved with rape crimes, the offence would indeed be included in the ‘adult crime, adult time,’ law reforms which were likely to be implemented by the end of 2025.

The bill has been referred to the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety committee for consideration.