Victoria’s proposal to send 14–17 year olds into adult courts ignores international law, expert evidence and decades of failed policy. Rehabilitation, not punishment, is what reduces future harm.

The proposed “Reforms” announced by the Victorian Premier and Corrections Minister using the catch phrase, “Serious Consequences Early Interventions”, and proposing 14 -17 year olds who commit serious crimes be tried in Adult Courts, is contrary to the UN Children’s Human Rights Law, which requires that child offenders be treated in a way that considers their age and promotes rehabilitation not just punishment.

Key principles include keeping children separate from adults and that imprisonment should be a last resort and for the shortest appropriate period.

I am a retired Child, Adolescent and Family Psychotherapist, and have spent 40 years working with young people and their families, many of whom had been neglected, abused and abandoned.

I  have witnessed state and federal governments systematically either decreasing or cutting funding, support, or staffing in this critically important area.

Proven effective programs such as early intervention programs for parents struggling with their children have been systematically cut back or stopped. These interventions have proven to be effective and long lasting.

There is a failure of the duty of care in Youth Detention. Many inquiries have been held into the Victorian Youth Justice System. In 2017 the Victorian Commission for Children  and Young People’s report The Same Four Walls concluded that children were subjected to unacceptable levels of isolation and were routinely locked down or isolated due to staffing issues. Indigenous young offenders are much more likely than non-Indigenous youth to be incarcerated. Nearly 50 per cent of young offenders have been under the child protection system. Over 30 per cent have cognitive difficulties, are homeless, have drug or alcohol addiction and the list goes on.

Our response by locking them up ensures a continuing cycle of crime and imprisonment. This abuse and neglect of our youth is an indictment of our collective lack of care and responsibility for those young people most at risk in our society.

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.

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