Drop in crime seen after “adult crime, adult time” laws
Queensland’s controversial youth crime laws, which are about to be strengthened, have already prompted a slip in juvenile offending rates, the premier says.
Queensland government quarterly data shows there has been an 8.2 per cent fall in car theft and an 8.4 per cent fall in break and enters since the Liberal National Party’s “adult crime, adult time” laws were passed in December.
The government has adopted a hard line on juvenile crime since being elected in October.
The crime data shows the legislation is working as intended, Premier David Crisafulli said on Monday.
“They’re green shoots… we have a long way to go,” he told Seven’s Sunrise program.
“What that translates to is about 450 fewer Queenslanders had their car pinched and 1033 fewer people had their homes broken into.
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“We are serious about driving down what is a youth crime crisis in this state.”
Under the first tranche of the laws, children as young as 10 face the same maximum sentences as adults for 13 offences, including murder, manslaughter and grievous bodily harm.
The state’s Human Rights Act was overridden to pass the legislation.
Under the former Labor government, the act was overridden twice so it could pass its own youth justice laws.
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A second tranche of the LNP government’s expanded legislation was introduced to state parliament in early April, covering up to 33 offences.
Those bills are expected to be debated and passed in May.
Government statistics also show there has been a 32 per cent decline in cases against children charged with one of the offences initially tabled in December.
The number of juveniles charged is down by 756 cases against the same period in 2024.
Crisafulli also responded to taunts by some youths over the laws on social media.
“To those young thugs taunting online I say, bring it on,” he said.
“There are going to be more changes, and your days of running amok will be over. Every change will be about strengthening the laws and I’m not going to be intimidated by it.”
