Djirra is shocked and dismayed that the Allan Government is reneging on its promise to raise the age of criminal responsibility in Victoria to at least 14 years by 2027.
“This looks suspiciously like a knee-jerk reaction to efforts by Victoria Police – aided by some members of the media – to scare people into thinking Victoria is in the middle of a youth crime wave,” says Djirra CEO and Change the Record Co-Chair Antoinette Braybrook AM.
“The youth crime wave narrative we are all reading about and seeing in the media is not reality. The Allan Government must not fall into the trap of confusing information from a biased, politically motivated scare campaign as a substitute for evidence and fact.”
ABS data[1] shows the number of youth crime incidents in Victoria remains at historic lows.
“In my capacity as Change the Record Co-Chair, I have stood with many national and community organisation experts to call for change. When the Victorian Government stood up and promised to raise the age, we thought this was a positive step forward for our state and our people,” says Antoinette.
“Djirra is incredibly disappointed and shocked at the Victorian Government’s decision to break its promise.”
“Our state has the largest police force in the country,” says Antoinette. “Expanding police powers and pouring more money into punitive, unfair, and racist systems will not achieve anything.”
“Children do not belong in the criminal justice system,” says Antoinette. “Our children belong with their families and thriving in their culture and identity.”
Djirra continues to stand firm with other Aboriginal community organisations, including the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Caucus, to campaign to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least 14.
“Our organisations and leaders have trusted and worked hard with the Victorian Government to raise the age and have provided important input into the new Youth Justice Bill,” says Antoinette.
“Across this state, and as we heard repeatedly during the Yoorrook Justice Commission hearings, Aboriginal children are unfairly targeted and badly let down by racist systems including over-policing and courts.”
Criminalising and incarcerating our children serves only to compound the intergenerational trauma so many in our communities are already experiencing.
We need to support children and their families, not marginalise and criminalise our kids.
The trajectory is clear – institutionalisation, incarceration, and lives are destroyed.
“Now is not the time for the Allan Government to back out, it is time to show real leadership and follow through on its commitments to our people and our self-determination. We no longer accept a betrayal of our trust. Our kids deserve better,” says Antoinette.
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[1] According to ABS data, there were 8,175 youth offenders in Vic in 22-23, compared to 8,974 in the first year of the Andrews Govt (14-15) and 14,743 in the last year of the Brumby Govt (09-10). SOURCE: Recorded Crime – Offenders, 2022,23 – Table 20 Youth offenders, Principal offence, States and territories, 2008–09 to 2022–23