The Victorian Government has backtracked on a crucial pledge to raise the age of criminal responsibility in the state to 14, a move that was widely anticipated as part of its broader youth justice reforms. Instead, the government has announced plans to raise the age to just 12. Premier Jacinta Allan defended the decision to back down from the pledge to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14, which was made under her predecessor Daniel Andrews. "The decision has been made at a different time by a different government with a different premier," she told ABC News.

While the government claims it is taking stronger action on repeat and serious youth offenders, including tightening the bail test for young people accused of serious crimes, this does little to address the root causes of youth offending or support the most vulnerable children in our society.

Blake Cansdale, National Director of Change the Record, expressed deep disappointment in the government's decision to the National Indigenous Times: “This is a broken promise, plain and simple. No child should ever grow up behind bars. Raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 would align Australia with the minimum standards set by the United Nations. Yet, the Victorian Government has failed to meet even this basic threshold. At numerous points, the government had opportunities to support and protect our children, but instead, they chose a punitive approach. Children end up behind bars because our governments have let them down—failing to provide safe and stable homes, neglecting early health checks that could identify impairments or disabilities, and ignoring their cries for help."

The announcement has shocked and dismayed many, including Antoinette Braybrook AM, CEO of Djirra and Co-Chair of Change the Record. She criticised the decision, suggesting it may be a reactionary move influenced by media narratives rather than evidence-based policy.

“This looks suspiciously like a knee-jerk reaction to efforts by Victoria Police – aided by some members of the media – to scare people into thinking Victoria is in the middle of a youth crime wave...the youth crime wave narrative we are all reading about and seeing in the media is not reality. The Allan Government must not fall into the trap of confusing information from a biased, politically motivated scare campaign as a substitute for evidence and fact,” she said.

The facts tell a different story. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of youth crime incidents in Victoria remains at historic lows, contradicting the fear-driven rhetoric.

Antoinette Braybrook also reflected on the broader implications of this broken promise: “In my capacity as Change the Record Co-Chair, I have stood with many national and community organisation experts to call for change. When the Victorian Government stood up and promised to raise the age, we thought this was a positive step for our state and our people. Change the Record is incredibly disappointed and shocked at the Victorian Government’s decision to break its promise.”