Questions raised over Victoria’s adult time laws after first teen offender avoids detention

Victoria’s opposition leader has accused Labor of being “weak on crime” after a first-time offender sentenced under new youth laws avoided detention for an armed taxi theft.

The 16-year-old girl was the first teenager charged under the Victorian government’s adult time for violent crime laws, but she walked free from court without spending a single day behind bars.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Teen walks free despite Victoria’s tough crime laws

The girl had stolen a taxi at knifepoint before crashing it at high speed. She was sentenced to an 18-month youth supervision order.

In handing down the sentence, the judge found exceptional circumstances applied because the teenager was a first-time offender, had stayed out of trouble since her arrest, and was dealing with mental health issues and a troubled upbringing.

Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said the outcome showed the Labor government’s new laws were failing to ensure young offenders faced consequences.

“They’ve claimed their new adult time for violent crime laws would ensure we’re seeing these young offenders held to account for breaking the law. Yet, with the first test case, we’ve seen that just simply isn’t happening,” Wilson said.

“I know Victorians have had enough of being scared in their homes, in their communities. We’re seeing record levels of crime in this state, and our laws are not ensuring that offenders are held to account.”

Wilson has committed to introducing what the opposition calls serious adult crime, adult time laws if it was to be elected to government.

The opposition has promised to close sentencing loopholes and establish a new court with specialist judges tasked with enforcing its proposed laws.

“The first starting point is to actually change the law in this state and put in place serious, tough, new adult crime, adult time laws that would close these loopholes,” Wilson said.

“The judge, despite these new laws, still went back to the sentencing for children, despite the fact this young offender held a knife to a cab driver.

“Victorians are looking for a government that is actually going to ensure offenders are held to account when they break the law.”

Wilson blamed Victoria’s crime rates on changes Labor made to the state’s bail laws three years ago, claiming young offenders no longer feared the consequences of committing crimes.