Deirdre CHEERS’ Post

We all want to be part of a society where people get the support they need and everyone's rights are respected - especially when help's most needed, and especially children. That's why the Senate's new inquiry into Australia's youth justice and incarceration system is so important. Australia's child justice systems are ineffective and do untold harm - criminalising children as young as 10, punishing children instead of fixing root causes, and falling far short of child rights and human rights minimum standards. It's a national issue that needs national leadership. The inquiry’s terms of reference rightly point to the need for enforceable national minimum standards for youth justice. It will highlight the critical importance of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and focusing on children's rights in Australia. A rights-respecting approach to youth justice is our best opportunity for transformative system change, to all of our benefit. We can do so much better. Submissions are open until 10 October - if you have a perspective to share, now’s the time. 54 reasons Save the Children Australia The Australian Child Rights Taskforce #childrights #youthjustice #RaisetheAge #UNCRC

The global landscape of children’s rights varies significantly, with stark contrasts between international agreements and U.S. practices. While the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child sets a high bar for protecting children globally, the U.S. has not ratified this agreement, leaving a gap in legal protections. American policies around child rights often focus on punishment over rehabilitation, especially in the juvenile justice system. This comparison highlights the need for the U.S. to prioritize children’s well-being and align more closely with international standards. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e2TqvWii #children #global #wellbeing

Youth Suicide needs an appropriate response

Victoria's plan to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 by 2027, and similar discussions in New Zealand, highlight the importance of empathy in shaping our laws. I know and have seen how empathy can positively impact a child's development. When parents and the state (what?!!!) respond to their children's mistakes with understanding, they create a safe space for growth. This approach can also be applied to our legal systems I think. In New Zealand, an estimated one in twenty children are known to Police for offending before reaching 14 years of age. Boys are twice as likely as girls to offend, and Māori children are approximately three times more likely than non-Māori children to become known to Police as offenders by age 14. These statistics underscore the need for a supportive, rather than punitive, approach to youth crime. Why 2027? Why Not Now? Dunno. maybe the gradual approach to raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 by 2027 in Victoria is designed to allow time for the necessary infrastructure and support systems to be put in place? This includes training for law enforcement, development of alternative rehabilitation programs, and ensuring that social services are adequately prepared to handle the increased demand. Immediate implementation could overwhelm existing systems and fail to provide the necessary support for affected children? Why Not Older? Research supports raising the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14, as recommended by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. This is based on evidence that children's brains are still developing, and they do not fully understand the consequences of their actions. Duh. Some experts argue for an even higher age, such as 15 or 16, to align with the developmental science that shows significant cognitive and emotional growth continues into late adolescence. However, raising the age to 14 is seen as a balanced approach that aligns with international standards while being feasible for implementation. Hmmm. Raising the age of criminal responsibility acknowledges that children need support, not punishment. This empathetic stance can help guide them towards a better future I reckon. What do you think? #Empathy #ChildDevelopment #Legislation #Parenting #YouthWelfare Indigenous and legal groups condemn Victoria’s backflip on raising the age https://lnkd.in/dsKECeXW

It is time for a cross-jurisdictional approach to youth justice in Australia that is child-centred, guided by evidence and the voices of young people with lived experience, and that protects human rights❗ In our latest submission, CREATE calls on the Commonwealth Government to take action on key reforms that will make a difference for children and young people with a care experience. Our recommendations include: ✅ Raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years without exceptions. ✅ Raising the minimum age of criminal detention to 16 years. ✅ Implementing a therapeutic youth justice model that treats the detention of children as a last resort, focuses on priority groups (especially children and young people with a care experience), uses evidence-based approaches, and actively involves young voices. The model must also include a solid evaluation framework for accountability. ✅ A joint agency protocol to reduce unnecessary police call-outs to residential care services.   You can read our submission containing quotes from children and young people on our website 👇   #YouthJustice #ChildRights #CREATE #YouthVoices 

Changing legislation is absolutely required here in Qld, but not by giving QPS and the justice system more power and rights. We are all losing our own rights, our own human rights. I witnessed this over 15 years ago when the government cut funding for prevention management, especially is the AOD sector. Look what happens, the government takes away money and investing in the future generations. Then the give more powers to QPS that allows for them to use legislation that protects them to manipulate, coerce and enforce their version of what is “right” or their interpretation of what is “justified”. The government have themselves to blame, more funding in enforcement that leads with intimidation, and a “god like” status. I doubt any member of QPS are even aware or trained in relation to The Human Rights Act. The government needs to invest money in prevention and relapse management. Not in recruiting more numbers in “brute force”, with an eligibility criteria that is so basic it is quite scary. Invest in education, invest in recovery and rehabilitation. Sending them to prison, is not the answer, they are stereotyped for life, judged on past history or considered guilty by association. What hope do they have for future positive progression and positive outcomes. Human Rights above Police Powers, Rights and Responsibilities. #QPS #QldAttorneyGeneral #CCC #CommonwealthGovernment #QldPremier

The Victorian government has so far offered its full support to just four of 46 recommendations proposed by an inquiry into child protection and criminal justice. That includes a call to stop jailing children under 16, leaving commissioners of the Yoorrook inquiry "disappointed". What's next? The government has committed to recommendations including mandating cultural awareness training for child protection workers. The Victorian government has rejected calls to stop jailing children under 16, leaving commissioners of a First Peoples-led truth-telling inquiry "disappointed". The government offered its full support to just four of the 46 recommendations proposed by the Yoorrook Justice Commission's inquiry, and "in-principle" support to 24 others. The inquiry into Victoria's child protection and criminal justice systems found evidence of ongoing systemic racism and gross human rights abuses committed against First Peoples. Its recommendations amounted to a sweeping overhaul of Victoria's child protection and criminal justice systems. Government rejects calls to raise criminal age of responsibility immediately, bail reforms The state government rejected three Yoorrook recommendations. That included a call for the state government to stop detaining children under 16 and to raise the criminal age of responsibility to 14, without exception. The government said it would instead maintain its plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12 this year, and to 14 by 2027, with exceptions. Read in full https://lnkd.in/g3FsxsFv

Every child should be free to go to school, have a safe home to live in and be supported to learn from their mistakes. The proposed youth justice changes announced today by the Allan Government fall short and risk further harming and criminalising children. The Allan Government has a choice: to continue turbo-charging ‘tough on crime’ politics which fails children and communities, or to implement evidence-based alternatives which work and ensure that every child grows up with their family and community. We are calling for the Victorian Government to #RaiseTheAge to 14 and deliver long overdue transformation of the state’s youth justice system. https://lnkd.in/gnQDi5U2

This is evidence of moral panic rather than evidence informed decision making. Children and young people need adults to do better rather than be scapegoated for the failings of communities that cannot keep children and young people safe. The majority of young people engaged in youth justice have histories of abuse and violation. Surely we should be focussed on their safety first. Maybe if we did that we would see a reduction in youth offending.

🚨 Judge Tom O’Donnell, who controversially handed down a three-year suspended sentence to a soldier who brutally assaulted a woman in Limerick, is set to retire this week. This decision has ignited widespread outrage, especially among women’s rights advocates, who decry the leniency shown towards crimes involving violence against women, sexual assault, and child abuse across Ireland. 📉 The trend of judges issuing suspended sentences for such serious offenses is deeply concerning. It highlights a troubling reality - women's and children's safety often takes a back seat to the lives of male perpetrators. Men who violate protection and barring orders face minimal repercussions, leaving victims retraumatised and in fear. 💔 We must stand behind all victims of violence, especially those suffering in silence due to family court privacy. Weekly breaches of protection orders and lenient sentences in family courts highlight an urgent need for change. The home remains the most dangerous place for a woman - our legal system must offer the protection and justice they deserve. 🛡️ Let's demand better for women and children. It's time for our legal system to prioritise their safety and ensure justice is served. Women's Aid Ireland Women's Aid Federation of England Solace Women's Aid Amber Womens Refuge Safe Ireland Department of Justice #MensVioleneAgainstWomen #ViolenceAgainstWomen #ENDVAWG #VAWG #JusticeForVictims #EndViolence #WomensRights #ChildProtection https://lnkd.in/drGwmxkP