It’s Day One of the 60th Victorian Parliament and the Greens are introducing a Bill to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14.
In Victoria, children as young as 10 can be arrested, put through the court system and locked up. What a confusing and terrifying experience that must be for a child.
These laws that criminalise kids impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children more than any other children in the country.
Raising the age is a First Nations justice issue. It’s also a moral one.
Children should be in classrooms and playgrounds, not courtrooms and prison cells.
The ACT has already committed to raise the age of criminal responsibility, thanks to the leadership of the ACT Greens.
Now it’s Victoria’s turn.
The Labor Government must act on this as a matter of urgency. The Greens will push for this reform every step of the way.