Spikes in youth crime over summer need a proactive response, hearing told

Authorities should better manage well-known seasonal peaks in youth crime and help guide the Queensland community through evidence-backed responses to the issue.

That was the argument from social work and human services academics, who sought to influence a rushed parliamentary committee hearing on Tuesday into the Palaszczuk government’s proposed youth justice crackdown.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk insists her government is listening to community concerns.Credit: Nine

Despite only having two days to prepare submissions last week, a total of 69 were made, with many from key stakeholders in the legal and youth justice space, who were highly critical of the laws and government efforts to enact them.

Many questioned government evidence around the need for the changes – first flagged in December after the alleged home-invasion murder of a Brisbane woman – prompting some pushback from both Labor and LNP MPs.

In a written submission, 14 Queensland University of Technology academics called on the government to “do more” to work proactively with the community and non-government agencies during times of widely known summer offending peaks, including a boost to flexible support for young people.

The academics strongly opposed what they labelled a reactionary and draconian bill that was at odds with the government’s overarching youth justice strategy. Instead, they echoed the dozens of frontline groups and experts calling for a “smarter, not tougher” approach.

“Leadership, ultimately, is the ability to transform values and to promote changes that are collaborative, ethical and progressive,” the QUT submission states.

“Now more than ever, we need strong leadership that brings the community together to prevent youth crime now and into the future.”

Speaking to Brisbane Times, Griffith University criminology and criminal justice emeritus professor Ross Homel said the “well-established” seasonal spike was driven by the problem of youth crime being more visible as children tended to venture out from disconnected or unsafe homes on summer nights, with school holidays also a factor.

The government’s last hardline measures were also sparked by a spate of high-profile incidents – over the summer of 2021.

Data shows a continued decade-long decline in the rate and number of both adult and youth offenders, with a year-on-year uptick in January.

Many submissions to the committee also focus on the lack of any prior consultation with key bodies, including the state’s peak legal groups, the Human Rights Commission, First Nations groups, and other community support organisations.

Others point to the departure from the government’s own long-term youth justice plans and a 2020 election promise ruling out the criminalisation of bail breaches by children.

Submissions from victims of youth crime, including an appearance before the committee by Michelle Liddle – mother of slain teenager Angus Beaumont – on behalf of the newly formed Victims of Youth Crime Collective, called for still-tougher measures around bail and detention for serious repeat young offenders.

Liddle also spoke of a dissatisfaction with government support for victims and their families, and of a feeling that the balance of rights tipped too far in the direction of offenders.

Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall, who also appeared before Tuesday’s committee hearing, said dragging more young people deeper into cycles of offending would only cause harm to more victims down the track.

“We need to come up with solutions that will actually work to reduce crime and therefore protect the community in a way that is much more sustainable,” McDougall said.

Further committee hearings in Cairns and Townsville continue this week.

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