Queensland Government Changes Laws to Crack Down on Youth Crimes

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during a press conference in Brisbane, Australia, on Dec. 13, 2021. Dan Peled/Getty Images

The government of the Australian state of Queensland has introduced new measures to tackle youth crimes following the death of a British mother who was killed by two teenage intruders while defending her home.

On Dec. 29, the Queensland government announced 10 new measures aimed at deterring juvenile law offenders via harsher punishments and reforms in the way courts handle youth crime cases.

Notably, the maximum prison term for car theft has been pushed to 10 years, up from the current seven years.

The penalty will go up to 14 years if the offence is committed at night and involves the use of violence, threats and weapons.

There will also be heavier penalties for criminals who brag about their crimes on social media.

In addition, the state government will amend the current laws so that courts will be required to consider previous bail history, criminal activity, and track record when sentencing offenders.

It will also spend $9.89 million (US$6.7 million) to fast-track the sentencing of juvenile offenders and put aside additional funds for two new youth detention centres.

The legislative changes will be introduced to the state parliament in 2023.

Government Officials’ Remarks on the New Measures

While offering condolences to the family of the murder victim, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government had listened to the community and tightened the penalties.

“We know that this has been a tragedy, a murder that has shocked Queensland and has shocked everyone,” she told reporters.

“Today, we are announcing a range of tougher penalties to address these issues involving youth crime in Queensland.

“These are tough measures, they will be put in place, and community safety, as I said, is paramount here.”

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll speaks to the media in Brisbane, on Nov. 23, 2022. AAP Image/Darren England

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said while some of the current initiatives and strategies had been very successful in dealing with youth crime, she welcomed the new measures that targeted “high-risk” groups of young criminals.

“We know that 90 percent of the children who come into the system are diverted, are dealt with very effectively, are cautioned. Those strategies have been extraordinarily successful over many years,” she said.

“However, we also know that a small percentage of five to ten percent are committing up to 50 percent of youth crime, and some of that crime, as we know, is serious, high-end offending.

“It’s this group we need to deal with the most in the future.”

The Tragic Incident on Boxing Day

On the night of Dec. 26, Emma Lovell, a mother of two, and her husband Lee allegedly found two 17-year-old boys breaking into their house in North Lakes.

The couple confronted the alleged intruders, which led to a scuffle that ended up with Emma being fatally stabbed while her husband suffered a non-life-threatening wound on the back.

The two teenagers fled the scene but were later arrested by the police along with another two boys—17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old—who were related to the duo.

The alleged culprits were charged with one count each of murder, attempted murder and entering a dwelling with intent in company, according to Queensland Police.

Both were denied bail. Their matters were heard in court on Dec. 28, and adjourned until Jan. 16.

It was later revealed that the two teenagers had a serious criminal history, including attempted murder.

Notably, one boy was released on bail just hours before the deadly stabbing.

Emma’s death comes 14 months after Queensland introduced a reform on the state’s youth justice system, which saw mixed results with increased remand and sentence duration for young people, and a rise in crimes committed by children on bail.

Following the incident, there have been growing calls for tougher crackdowns on youth crime in Queensland, with the opposition Liberal National Party urging for the criminalisation of breach of bail.

Lee, the surviving husband, who is devastated by his wife’s death, also called for a policy change to prevent similar incidents from happening to other families.

Meanwhile, a petition calling for the introduction of “Emma’s Law,” which intends to mandate judges to refuse bail to all repeat home invaders carrying weapons regardless of age, has collected around 78,500 signatures on the morning of Dec. 30.

The State of Youth Crimes in Queensland

While youth crimes in Queensland have made headlines with a number of incidents, including car thefts and property-related offences, authorities said there was a reduction in the number of crimes committed by juveniles.

“In the last ten years, the population of children has increased by about 80,000. However, the number of offences has decreased by about 4,000,” Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said.

Brisbane Youth Detention Centre in Brisbane, Australia, on Aug. 24, 2020. Glenn Hunt/Getty Images

A recent review of Queensland’s youth justice reform in 2021 also showed that the percentage of youth offenders in the state gradually dropped from 17 percent in 2011-2012 to 12 percent in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.

In addition, Molly McCarthy, a Griffith University’s Criminology Institute research fellow, who has studied Queensland’s youth crime trends for 12 years, said there had been a drop in the number of young criminals.

“We have fewer young people offending. However, within that group of youth offenders, we have had a growth of repeat youth offenders, of about 1,000-1,500 people,” McCarthy said, reported The Guardian.

“A youth crime wave doesn’t make sense in the context of the decline the data shows, but for some communities, the rise in prolific reoffending will be acutely felt.”

The Queensland government has introduced reforms regarding the youth justice system in recent years, with the latest one occurring in 2021.

Early this year, the state also rejected calls for raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14, as recommended by the United Nations, reported the Brisbane Times.

As the Queensland government continues to crack down on youth crime, there have been concerns among youth advocacy groups about the negative impacts of the government’s policies on children’s development.

In a submission to the Queensland government, the Youth Advocacy Centre said that legal responses were not useful in addressing the causes of offending behaviour in children and suggested a “multidisciplinary response” that includes the involvement of legal, bail, court, youth, homelessness and family support services.