18/07/2025
The Sentencing Advisory Council (SAC) released a new report last fortnight, amplifying calls for changes in how the legal system treats young children who come into contact with it, with age-appropriate responses.
The report found that over the past 10 years, children aged 10–13 made up only 0.32% of all offence cases, and that the vast majority of those cases were for low-level offending. It also highlighted a distinct overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children from regional Victoria. On Rafael Epstein’s ABC Melbourne Mornings show, Stan Winford (Associate Director at CIJ, and a Director at the SAC) spoke about indications that this overrepresentation may be linked to differences in policing approaches in regional areas — noting that children in regional Victoria are less likely to be offered diversion options, whether because regional police are unaware those options exist, or because they are simply not being used.
The report also confirmed that many children aged 10–13 who encounter the justice system have complex needs — often undiagnosed or unmet — including Acquired Brain Injuries, intellectual disabilities and psychiatric disorders. This reflects broader trends seen in adults who come into contact with the justice system.
Taken together, the findings of this report, alongside decades of existing research, make it clear that Victoria must adopt developmentally appropriate, alternative approaches for these children — “rather than punitive system responses that entrench children in the legal system and increase their chances for more frequent and serious offending in the future,” as stated by SAC.
Winford also noted that the outcomes are “consistent with decades of research showing the importance of effectively addressing the causes of children’s offending to make the Victorian community safer in the long term” (quoted in National Indigenous Times).
“For such a small group of children, and for such low-level offending, there is no reason why we should not see age-appropriate responses that reflect the unique vulnerability of this group. We need responses tailored to their specific needs, and, in Victoria, we’re just not doing that nearly as much as we should be,” said Meena Singh, Victoria’s Acting Principal Commissioner for Children and Young People (quoted by SAC).
References and Resources can be found below👇
The full report by the Sentencing Advisory Council: http://bit.ly/4eJ5utP
The accompanying media release: http://bit.ly/3GlfPzH
The report by the National Indigenous Times: http://bit.ly/4eMCvFJ
Interview with CIJ's Stan Winford on ABC's Melbourne Mornings with Rafael Epstein, at 1hr 22m 5s: http://bit.ly/46H9nNU
