Australia’s Northern Territory To Resume Jailing 10-Year-Olds To Reduce Youth Crime Rates

The Australian Northern Territory (NT) will soon permit children as youthful as 10 to be jailed aget, after a reversal of the previous handlement’s decision to elevate the age of criminal responsibility to 12. According to the BBC, the recent Country Liberal Party (CLP) handlement, which was elected in August, shelp a reversal is essential to reduce youth crime rates. It talk aboutd that returning the age to 10 will ultimately protect children, even though doctors, human rights organisations and Indigenous groups have disputed this logic. 

According to the BBC, the Australian Northern Territory already jails children at a rate 11 times higher than any other jurisdiction in the country. Critics have shelp that this recent law will not reduce crime, instead, it will disproportionately impact Abdistinct and Torres Strait Idefamation children. 

However, NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro shelp her handlement had been given a mandate after their landslide election thrive, and that the change would permit courts to put youthful offenders thcdisesteemful programmes scheduleed to includeress the root caincludes of their crimes – which, according to statistics, are most frequently shatter-in and aggression offences.

“We have this obligation to the child who has been let down in a number of ways, over a lengthened period of time,” Ms Finocchiaro telderly the parliament on Thursday. “And we have [an obligation to] the people who equitable want to be protected, people who don’t want to live in trouble anymore,” she includeed. 

Moreover, the NT has also safeened bail rules and presentd penalties for “posting and boasting” about crime on social media. “We create no apologies for transfering on our pledgements to reduce crime for all Territorians,” Ms Finocchiaro shelp.

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Opposition Leader Selena Uibo, however, called it a “griefful day” for the territory. “We understand – becainclude all of the evidence inestablishs us this – that the earlier a child comes into reach out with the criminal equitableice system, the more prolengtheneded their includement is predicted to be,” she shelp.

“We want to see children held accountable for horrible behaviour but then helped to get on a better path,” Ms Uibo includeed. 

Notably, the change will come into effect at a postponecessitater date that is yet to be validateed. Only the Australian Capital Territory has elevated the age of criminal responsibility above 10. Victoria has passed legislation to do so, which will come into effect next year. The Tasmanian handlement has also shelp it will elevate the age to 14 by 2029.