Children in Victoria could face life sentences for violent offences under tougher youth crime laws as a premier apologises to victims.
Victoria's Labor government has adopted "adult time for violent crime" laws, mirroring the approach implemented by Queensland's Liberal-National government after its election victory in 2024.
Under the proposed changes, kids as young as 14 would be tried in adult courts and possibly face life terms.
"There are too many victims and not enough consequences," Premier Jacinta Allan told reporters on Wednesday.
About one-third of youths were sentenced to jail for aggravated home invasion or aggravated carjacking in the Children's Court, she said.
Children who commit violent crimes, including home invasion, aggravated home invasion, recklessly or intentionally causing injury and aggravated carjacking, would instead be dealt with exclusively in the County Court.
"By moving these particular offences into the County Court, we know these children will face adult sentencing, which means more jail and longer jail sentences," Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said.
The principle of jail as a last resort would also be removed and judges forced to prioritise community safety in their sentencing decisions.
The laws will be introduced to parliament before the end of 2025, but no date has been provided for when they will take effect beyond "as soon as possible".
Ms Allan apologised to victims of crime caught up in home invasions, carjacking incidents and machete attacks.
"I do apologise and that is why we are taking this action today," she said.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin said Victorians couldn't trust the premier to deliver what she promised.
"Today's announcement is the premier chasing another headline with no plan to follow through and deliver," he said.
Victoria has been in the grip of surging crime rates, with criminal offences spiking by 15.7% in the year to mid-2025, fuelled by thefts, home invasions and repeat youth offenders.
About 1100 youths aged 10 to 17 were arrested a combined 7000 times, according to the latest crime statistics.
Under the proposed changes, young offenders would be condemned to a life behind bars for mistakes they made as children, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive Nerita Waight said.
"We are basically putting them in a cell and throwing away the key," she told AAP.
"Often their parent is the state, they are in child protection, they are not receiving the help and support that they need."
Waight said the overhaul would disproportionately affect young Aboriginal people who were already over-represented in the legal system.
Resources should instead be directed to early intervention programs, she said.
"Victoria is competing with other jurisdictions on how cruel it can be and this announcement certainly proves that we are winning at that," Waight said.
Queensland implemented its "adult crime, adult time" laws in response to a 17-year-old teenager fatally stabbing mother Emma Lovell in a Boxing Day home invasion in 2022.
The laws were expanded in May to cover 33 serious offences, including attempted murder, rape, attempted rape and torture.
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