Australian Senators Demand Minimum Criminal Age Raised to 14

Senators Andrew McLachlan and David Shoebridge are demanding that Australia raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14. Their call for action follows a federal Senate committee report released Friday, which identified a youth justice crisis characterized by the increasing incarceration of First Nations, poor, and disabled youth despite a general decline in crime rates.

The committee report found that inconsistent treatment of children across states and territories is being driven by incorrect media reporting. While the committee recommended that the federal attorney general establish national minimum standards and a National Child and Community Safety Taskforce, McLachlan and Shoebridge argued these measures are insufficient.

Data highlighted in the report revealed a high prevalence of neurodiversity and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder among detained youth in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia. The Northern Territory was singled out for systemic brutality and incarceration rates that far exceed the rest of the country.