Raising the Criminal Age Only Sweeps Youth Crime Under the Carpet

Commentary The Victorian state government has committed to raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 years old to 12, and to 14 years old by 2027 in an effort, it says, to avoid young people entering the criminal justice system early. Yet, the recent case of a 14-year-old, who is on bail and had more than 380 charges, struck out because of his age. He has been described by a magistrate as “causing terror” in the community, which sums up all that is wrong with plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility. Not holding young offenders accountable for their actions will not halt the issue of youth crime....