RACP President available to comment on raising the age of criminal responsibility
14 November 2022
The President of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) and Paediatrician Dr Jacqueline is available to comment on the back of the ABC 730 report on children in incarceration in Australia.
Who: RACP President and Paediatrician Dr Jacqueline Small
What: Commenting on why Australian states and territories must raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 and nothing less.
Media contact: Amelia Brock, 0430 187 161
The RACP has been campaigning with the Raise the Age campaign to call for all state and territory Governments raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14, in line with all medical evidence and advice.
The College says that it is a disgrace that children in Australia are still being locked up despite all the medical evidence and advice.
RACP President and Paediatrician Dr Jacqueline Small says “The College has been campaigning for years for state and territories to raise the age of criminal responsibility.
“Incarcerating children this young causes serious harms for them and their communities.
“14 years old is the absolute youngest age a child should be held criminally responsible, and we’ve been very disappointed to see the NT Government attempt this reform, only to miss the mark with an age of 12.
“More must be done to ensure children are not incarcerated for behaviours that are a direct consequence of their young age, their disability or their earlier trauma and provide these children with the care, support and treatment that they need and that preserves their dignity and human rights.
“Exposure to the criminal legal system has direct consequences on the education, development, mental and physical health, and adult incarceration rates, on these children.”