Victorians back adult time for violent youth crime

The majority of Victorians support a push by the Allan government to sentence violent young criminals to adult penalties, new polling has revealed, as the state’s crime crisis hits boiling point.

The Allan government’s adult time for violent crime policy has been comprehensively backed by Victorians as the state’s crime crisis emerges as a top tier election issue.

New polling has revealed bipartisan support for legislation, which was introduced to parliament on Tuesday, that would allow judges to jail children as young as 14 to life terms.

The Freshwater Strategy poll, conducted earlier this month, found 83 per cent of voters supported the policy.

Almost two-thirds of voters, or 61 per cent, strongly supported the move and agreed with the notion of adult penalties for minors as a necessary response to recent high-profile incidents.

Voters also rated crime a top tier election issue, second only to cost of living pressures.

At the same time, voters were more likely to agree that the youth crime issue was created by the inaction of the Labor Government, including over one in three Labor and Greens voters.

The government has for more than a year struggled to contain the state’s youth crime crisis.

Record rates of offending and the Herald Sun’s Suburbs Under Siege campaign have already prompted the government to ban machetes and reintroduce criminal charges for bail breaches and committing offences while already on bail.

How the Herald Sun covered the story.

The Justice Legislation Amendment (Community Safety) Bill, which passed the lower house on the same day it was introduced on Tuesday, proposes maximum sentences of life for aggravated home invasions and aggravated carjackings, a 25-year maximum for intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, and 20 years for the lesser offence of recklessly causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence.

Gang leaders convicted of luring children into organised crime would face 15 years’ imprisonment.

Youths convicted of stealing cars with children inside would also face up to 15 years behind bars.

Other crimes of home invasions and carjackings that don’t include weapons, aggravated burglary or armed robberies, would carry harsher penalties by being uplifted from the Children’s Court to the County Court, where longer jail terms can be imposed.

However, accused 14 year-old youth criminals or prosecutors will be free to apply for matters not to be dealt with and be heard by Childrens’ Court magistrates, severely limiting potential sentences.

Gang leaders convicted of luring children into organised crime would face 15 years’ imprisonment, with the government set to increase that to life next year.

Premier Jacinta Allan says parliament will sit until the new laws are passed. Picture: David Crosling

The legislation must now be debated in the upper house but Premier Jacinta Allan said parliament would sit until the new laws were passed.

“It would be my expectation that the parliament supports this Bill, gets it passed this week, so it comes into effect as soon as possible,” she said.

The Justice Legislation Amendment (Community Safety) Bill proposes maximum sentences of life for aggravated home invasions and aggravated carjackings

The Coalition has committed to backing the bill, meaning the laws will pass.

However, they have proposed amendments to address what shadow Attorney-General James Newbury described as loopholes.

Mr Newbury also described the legislation as a pale imitation of the Queensland Liberal-National Party government’s Adult Crime, Adult Time crackdown introduced last year.

In Queensland, data showed victim numbers across nine major crime categories dropped by almost 10,000 people in the first nine months of 2025, compared with the same period last year.

And there were 5000 fewer offences, including 182 fewer robberies, 1452 fewer break-ins and 2064 fewer cars stolen.

Youths convicted of stealing cars with children inside would also face up to 15 years behind bars. Picture: Supplied

But the Queensland legislation included more than 30 offences for which children could be treated like adults.

“Only in Victoria, could this Labor government implement an adult crime system that is weak and full of loopholes,” he said.

“The only thing taken from Queensland is the slogan, not tough laws with real consequences.

“What’s worse is that certain offenders, like carjackers, will be given a loophole of requesting they not be treated as adults.

“We will be formally calling, through amendment, for the laws to be tougher, because crimes like rape should not have been overlooked, we will call for loopholes to be closed.

“We won’t be opposing Labor’s weak laws, but it’s incredibly sad that Jacinta Allan has broken her promise and once again failed to keep Victoria safe.”

Greens leader Ellen Sandell said the party would not support the ‘shameful’ laws. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Greens leader Ellen Sandell said the party would not support the “shameful” laws.

“This week the Labor Party will ram through laws, punitive new laws that can potentially see kids put in jail for life,” she said.

“I am really worried about the direction of this Victorian state Labor government.

“I think they’ve lost their way. I don’t know what they stand for anymore, and they’re certainly not listening to the evidence and the experts.”

The proposed laws have sparked alarm among community groups and legal advocates.

They have also driven a wedge through the Labor caucus with some MPs fearing the government was going too far in efforts to clamp down on youth crime.

Originally published as Victorians back adult time for violent youth crime