‘Tasmania can do better than this’: Protesters turn out in droves over children in detention

Children under the age of 14 shouldn’t be getting locked up, according to scores of protesters demanding Tasmania raise the age of criminal responsibility.

Danni Ashton state co-ordinator CREATE Foundation. Raise the Age rally on parliament lawns Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

CHILDREN should be playing with toys, not getting locked up – according to the scores of protesters demanding Tasmania immediately raise the age of criminal responsibility.

On Thursday, a rally was held at Parliament House by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service (TALS) and Amnesty International, with protesters laying toys on the pathway and steps leading to Parliament House.

TALS acting state manager Hannah Phillips said “closing the gap” was essential for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, who are disproportionately incarcerated compared to their non-Indigenous peers.

“Detention does not work as a behavioural change method, it creates future inmates of Risdon Prison,” she said.

Raise the Age rally on parliament lawns Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Ms Phillips said while the Legislative Council had passed a motion to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 a year ago, Tasmania was yet to enact that change.

“Since this motion passed, we have heard many more disturbing details about the treatment of children in Tasmania’s justice system with the inquiry into the Ashley Youth Detention Centre,” she said.

“We know that Tasmania can do better than this.”

In June, the Tasmanian government announced the age of detention – but not criminal responsibility – would be raised from 10 to 14 by the end of 2024, following a suite of legislative amendments.

Last year, the government announced Tasmania would join other states in an plan to increase the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 years to 12 years.

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