Children aged 14 and above to face adult sentences under Victorian crime crackdown

Children as young as 14 in Victoria could be jailed for life under major justice reforms announced today by Premier Jacinta Allan.

The government will introduce new legislation known as "adult time for violent crime", modelled on Queensland's crackdown on youth offenders.

Allan has been under enormous pressure to tackle youth offending amid what many observers say is a crime wave in Victoria.

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Under the proposed changes, children as young as 14 who commit violent offences, such as aggravated home invasion and carjacking, will be tried and sentenced in adult court.

Currently, the maximum sentence in a children's court for aggravated home invasion or a single offence is three years in prison, but in adult court, that is 25 years in jail.

Children who commit the following crimes will be subject to adult jail sentences:

• Aggravated home invasion
• Home invasion
• Intentionally causing injury in circumstances of gross violence (includes machete crime)
• Recklessly causing injury in circumstances of gross violence (includes machete crime)
• Aggravated carjacking
• Carjacking
• Aggravated burglary (serious and repeated)
• Armed robbery (serious and repeated)

Allan said the laws aimed to target violent youths and make the community safer.

Police were facing a new type of violent offending and "new interventions" were required to tackle it, she said.

The Victorian government will introduce the reforms into parliament this week, with the aim of making them law before the end of the year.

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But some lawyers have expressed concern the planned changes will mean a loss of judicial independence.

Leading Melbourne barrister Matt Collins KC expressed his doubts on 3AW today.

"My concern is when you make special rules around particular offences, you interfere with the ability of our justice system," he said.

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