Victorian youth and legal advocacy groups have criticised the state Labor government’s plan to ban children as young as 14 from associating with other teenagers convicted of a crime.
Under the proposed youth anti-gang legislation, which was introduced in parliament last Tuesday, senior police sergeants can issue a person with an ‘unlawful association’ notice if they are caught affiliating with at least two individuals convicted of violent crimes.
Once issued, the notice prevents an individual from being in contact with any convicted criminal, regardless of whether they have been convicted of a crime themselves.
Legal and youth groups have called on the government to scrap the legislation, calling it “excessive and overreaching”.
Director of Youthlaw, Ariel Couchman, called the government’s decision a “knee-jerk reaction” to a small group of repeat offenders.
“It’s very much a law they’re introducing because of the impending election,” she said. “The government feels it has to look like it’s been really tough on crime.”
Victoria’s youth crime rate has fallen by five per cent in 2016-17, according to the Bureau of Statistics.
CEO of Youth Affairs Council Victoria, Leo Fieldgrass, said the new legislation had “alarming implications for all children and young people across the state”.
“We’ve got concerns this is going to drag some young people into the justice system and prevent others from making a fresh start,” he told the City Journal.
“We would like to see a youth justice system that supports young people and families from entering the system.”
While Cameron Lavery, a principal lawyer at Justice Connect, said expanding the anti-association laws risks “disproportionately impacting vulnerable members of the community, including people experiencing homelessness who have to live their lives in public spaces, and younger Victorians.”
A statement from the Victorian Attorney-General, Martin Pakula, said the bill will give the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission a “new oversight role, reviewing notices and monitoring the operation of the scheme”.
“We’re strengthening these laws to give police the powers and resources they need to disrupt serious organised crime and keep the community safe,” Mr Pakula said.
(Featured image: Children as young as 14 could be in trouble with the proposed law if they hang around the wrong people. Photo: William Ton)
