Queensland LNP Says ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ Penalties Cutting Crime Rates

Incidents of wounding among youth criminals have fallen 16.9 percent on last year, according to the government.

LNP Premier David Crisafulli addresses the media at Parliament House in Brisbane, Australia on Oct. 27, 2024. AAP Image/Darren England

Serious youth offending has decreased just three months since the state introduced its “Adult Crime, Adult Time” laws, the government says.

The announcement comes a day after the Liberal National Party (LNP) government said it would look to expand the range of crimes that attract “adult time” penalties.

The original laws passed in December 2024 saw tougher penalties for serious offences including murder, manslaughter, unlawful striking causing death, grievous bodily harm, wounding, serious assault, home and business break-ins and robberies, and dangerous operation of vehicles.

On March 30, the LNP announced more than a dozen new offences would be added to the Adult Crime, Adult Time list.

The crimes confirmed so far include rape, attempted murder, aggravated attempted robbery, torture and arson, while the remainder may be decided on in the coming week.

This expansion comes after a youth offender in Ipswich stabbed a 63-year-old Coles worker in the back with a knife, prompting a knife ban across the supermarket chain. However, the boy was charged with attempted murder at the time that fell outside the ambit of the initial tranche of laws.

The move to expand penalties for rape comes after a home invasion in the Cairns suburb of Manunda, where two boys, aged 15 and 16, allegedly separated a woman in her 30s from her household before sexually assaulting her at knifepoint in February.

Queensland Police Far North Detective Inspector Kevin Goan described the incident as one of the worst he had seen in his 38 years of police work.

Crisafulli labelled the alleged offending as “sickening” and vowed to bring justice to the affected family and the state.

“This is the next stage, but it won’t be the last stage, we won’t rest until we arrest the youth crime crisis,” Crisafulli said in a statement about the new tranche of laws.

“Victims must come first and Adult Crime, Adult Time is just one way we are shifting the focus back to supporting victims and driving down youth crime.”

Analysis has shown the laws have so far brought about a reduction in offending, the LNP says.

Statistics show that from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28, car thefts were down 8.2 percent on the same period from the year before.

While break-ins also fell 8.4 percent in the same time period, with a 4.8 percent reduction in robberies.

The wounding offence saw the largest drop, with a 16.9 percent reduction reported.

The Epoch Times contacted Queensland’s shadow spokesman for crime for comment.