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Children as young as 10 will face adult jail time in Australian state
The Australian state of Queensland has passed laws which will see children as young as 10 subject to the same penalties as adults if convicted of crimes such as murder, serious assault and break-ins.
The government says the harsher sentencing rules are in response to “community outrage over crimes being perpetrated by young offenders” and will act as a deterrent.
But many experts have pointed to research showing that tougher penalties do not reduce youth offending, and can in fact exacerbate it.
The United Nations has also criticised the reforms, arguing they disregard conventions on the human rights of children and violate international law.The Liberal National Party (LNP) – which won the state election in October – made the rules a hallmark of its campaign, saying they put the “rights of victims” ahead of “the rights of criminals”.
“These laws are for every Queenslander who has ever felt unsafe and been a victim of youth crime across our state,” Premier David Crisafulli said after parliament passed the bill on Thursday.
Leading up to the vote, both sides of politics had claimed that Queensland was in the grips of a youth crime wave, and that a more punitive approach was necessary to combat the issue.
But data from the Australian bureau of statistics, shows that youth crime has halved in Queensland across the past 14 years, that it hit its lowest rate in recorded history in 2022, and has remained relatively steady since.
Figures from the Queensland Police Service and the Australian Institute of Criminology also demonstrate a clear downward trend.
Dubbed by the government as “adult crime, adult time”, the new laws list 13 offences which will now be subject to harsher prison sentences when committed by youths, including mandatory life detention for murder, with a non-parole period of 20 years.
Previously, the maximum penalty for young offenders convicted of murder was 10 years in jail, with life imprisonment only considered if the crime was “particularly heinous”.
The laws also remove “detention as a last resort” provisions – which favour non-custodial orders, such as fines or community service, for children rather than incarceration – and will make it possible for judges to consider a child’s full criminal history when sentencing.
The Queensland Police Union has called the changes “a leap forward in the right direction”, while Queensland’s new Attorney-General Deb Frecklington says it will give courts the ability to “better address patterns of offending” and “hold people accountable for their actions”.
But in a summary, Frecklington also noted the changes were in direct conflict with international standards, that Indigenous children would be disproportionately impacted and that more youngsters were likely to be held in police cells for extended periods because detention centres are full.
Queensland already has more children in detention than any other Australian state or territory.
Premier Crisafulli said on Thursday that although there may be “pressure in the short-term” his government had a long-term plan to “deliver a raft of other detention facilities and different options”.
Australia’s commissioner for children, Anne Hollonds, described the changes as an “international embarrassment”.
She also accused Queensland’s government of “ignoring evidence” which suggests “the younger a child comes into contact with the justice system, the more likely it is that they will continue to commit more serious crimes”.
“The fact that [the bill’s] provisions are targeting our most at-risk children makes this retreat from human rights even more shocking,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.
Other legal experts, who gave evidence to a parliamentary hearing on the bill last week, said the laws could have unintended consequences for victims, with children being less likely to plead guilty given the tougher sentences, resulting in more trials and longer court delays.
London, UK – April 4,2025 – The Social Rehabilitation Foundation UK (SRF-UK), an international humanitarian organization committed to sustainable development, today issued a global call for partnerships with NGOs, charities, and civil society organizations to address interconnected crises in poverty, education, women’s empowerment, and public health in vulnerable communities worldwide.
A Multidimensional Crisis Demanding Collective Action
SRF-UK’s latest research highlights alarming global disparities:
• 689 million people live in extreme poverty (World Bank)
• 258 million children remain out of school (UNESCO)
• 1 in 3 women experiences gender-based violence (WHO)
• 50% of the world’s population lacks essential health services (WHO/World Bank)
“These aren’t isolated issues but interconnected challenges requiring collaborative solutions,” said Mr.Asif , Director of SRF-UK. “From the local Desk, we need united action.”
Priority Areas for Partnership
SRF-UK seeks partners for:
1. Poverty Alleviation
• Microfinance initiatives
• Sustainable livelihood programs
• Emergency shelter projects
2. Education Revolution
• School construction in conflict zones
• Digital literacy programs
• Vocational training centers
3. Women’s Empowerment
• Gender-based violence prevention
• Economic inclusion programs
• Leadership development initiatives
4. Public Health Advancement
• Mobile health clinics
• Nutrition programs
• WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) projects
Why Partner With SRF-UK?
✔ Global Footprint: Active in 15 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East
✔ Proven Model: 78% program success rate in sustainable interventions
✔ Local Expertise: 85% of field staff are community members
Join Our Global Network
NGOs, international organizations, and corporate social responsibility partners interested in collaboration may contact:
Partnerships Team
Email: info@srfoundation.uk
Website: www.srfoundation.uk/global-partnerships
“The Sustainable Development Goals won’t be achieved by any single organization. We need an alliance of change-makers,” Mr.Asif .
Available for Media:
• High-resolution photos/videos from our field operations
• Expert commentary on global development challenges
• Customized regional data snapshots
About Social Rehabilitation Foundation UK
A UK-registered working organization to create lasting change through education, economic empowerment, and health initiatives. SRF-UK has impacted over 2.3 million lives across 46 projects worldwide.
Michael Storc and his family had just survived a devastating wildfire.
Now they have to face a daunting new challenge that he had hoped to never experience again – the Los Angeles housing market.
After losing the Altadena home that he owned in the Eaton fire, he was scouring for a new place to rent, and having little luck.
“What’s available is not nice at all and the rents have gone up a lot,” Mr Storc told the BBC. “I told my teenage daughter we had to accept we would live somewhere not very nice.”
The Los Angeles area already has one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country. And with thousands now displaced by the Palisades and Eaton fires, Angelenos are anxious that the sudden surge in demand could make rents and home prices soar even higher.
California has an anti-price gouging law that prevents landlords from raising rents more than 10% after the governor declares an emergency. It applies to both existing and tenants and new leases.
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LA brain surgeon saves street from fires
Many Los Angeles County buildings are also covered by rent stabilisation laws, which prevent landlords from raising the rent for existing tenants above a certain percentage even in normal circumstances.
“It is illegal. You cannot do it,” California attorney general Rob Bonta said at a Saturday press conference. “It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and fines.”
Not everyone was certain that the law would be completely enforceable, however.
“We’re aware of that but my question is, how is that being regulated? And who’s monitoring that?” said Jessica Heredia, a realtor based in the high-end Brentwood neighbourhood for the last 20 years.
A Los Angeles brain surgeon who fought for almost a week to save the houses on his street from wildfires told the BBC he spent 15 years preparing for such an event.
Malibu resident Dr Chester Griffiths, 62, ignored evacuation orders to keep flames from the Palisades fire at bay with the help of his son and neighbour, until emergency services were able to reach them.
“We had always known that a fire would come someday – but we didn’t know when,” Dr Griffiths told the BBC’s Today Programme.
“We never fathomed it would be this catastrophic and apocalyptic.”
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