Living in Victoria, I always felt relatively safe—until a group of teens stole my car keys from a locker, took my number plate, smoked meth in my car, and left it a total loss. It took me two months of back-and-forth with the police and insurance to get compensated. Meanwhile, the underage offender? Released on bail the very next day.
So, is our justice system actually just? Or just a protective bubble for juveniles? Stats show youth crime in Victoria jumped 30% in 2024, and by 2027, the government plans to raise the criminal responsibility age to 14. Maybe it’s time we all pause and think—who’s really being protected here?
