Deirdre CHEERS’ Post

We claim to be a country that cares about children’s rights. But children are being treated inhumanely in detention centres and police watchhouses around Australia. And in 2024, it got even worse. That’s the damning assessment of the new Human Rights Watch (HRW) World Report 2025. HRW calls out the use of solitary confinement on children, the reversal of progress in some jurisdictions on raising the age of criminal responsibility, and the practice of locking kids up in adult facilities in Queensland and WA as clear examples of our failure to protect kids. This verdict should be a wake-up call for Australian authorities. It doesn’t have to be this way. Australian governments can follow the recommendations we’ve made with civil society partners to: - raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years old to 14, making our children and communities safer. - stop locking up children in solitary confinement and adult facilities. - invest in programs supporting children and young people in the community, preventing contact with the criminal legal system. Read HRW’s World Report at: https://lnkd.in/g37nXN8i

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

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

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 

Behind every grassroots organisation supporting women in crisis is a team of passionate changemakers – like Christina Kasavetis. As a dedicated caseworker at the Justice and Equity Centre (formerly the Public Interest Advocacy Centre), she supports women facing domestic violence and unsafe living conditions, helping them navigate the often overwhelming complexities of housing and legal systems. The Justice and Equity Centre is one of Australia’s leading independent law and policy organisations, committed to building a fairer, more equitable society. Through its Homeless Persons’ Legal Service - Women's Service, the Centre addresses the intersecting challenges of housing insecurity, civil law and criminal law faced by vulnerable women. Read more about their impact, and our investment in partnerships that are disrupting the cycle of incarceration and disadvantage for women in Australia: https://lnkd.in/gzqqaaCt

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

My new article: "Carceral Apartheid: Centering State Responsibility for Racial Harm." The article explores how state violence produces the racial order. At the center of this story is the criminal system, which provides a violent guarantee backing communal acts of racial harm. It also provides a violent guarantee to the distribution of government benefits to White beneficiaries (White welfare). As to the title, we describe our addiction to locking people up as “mass incarceration." The term is white-washed. "Carceral apartheid" acknowledges that glaring racial disparities result from racial discrimination and the state's racial violence. What is radical is what we have normalized. Please share: https://lnkd.in/gkW6q6-q