Children aged 14 and up to face adult sentences under Victorian reforms

Children in Victoria aged 14 and over who commit violent crimes will soon be eligible for adult jail terms, including life sentences, under major reforms planned by the Allan government.

The new legislation, titled Adult Time for Violent Crime, is expected to go before parliament later this year. It will allow young offenders to be sentenced in adult courts for a list of serious offences, increasing the likelihood and length of jail time.

At present, the maximum sentence in the Children’s Court is three years. Under the reforms, offences such as aggravated home invasion, aggravated carjacking, and violent attacks involving machetes could result in sentences of up to 25 years, or longer in the most extreme cases.

Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said the changes reflect the severity of recent youth offending.

"We are seeing some pretty violent crimes being committed by children. Communities deserve the courts to have the power to treat these cases with the seriousness they deserve," she said.

Premier Jacinta Allan referenced a case where a couple was attacked while confronting offenders in their neighbour’s garage.

"We are all horrified by these violent, brazen youth crimes and the impact on victims," she said. "There are too many victims and not enough consequences."

The government argues the shift is needed in response to a rise in youth crime. Children make up 12.8 percent of offenders, but account for 60 percent of robberies, almost half of aggravated burglaries, and a quarter of car thefts.

Under the plan, young people would begin sentences in youth detention before transferring to adult prison when deemed appropriate. Judges would also be required to prioritise community safety and remove the expectation that jail be used only as a last resort for minors.

The Police Association of Victoria supports the reforms, saying "consequences count."

However, legal experts and criminologists have warned the move could worsen reoffending rates.

RMIT Associate Professor Marietta Martinovic said longer jail terms for children risk creating a "cycle of offending".

"Young brains are still developing. Surrounding children with others who are criminally inclined is not the best way forward," she said, adding that 80 percent of young people who have spent time in custody return to detention within two years.

Critics argue that funding early intervention, rehabilitation programs, and community-based responses would reduce crime more effectively in the long term.