August 30, 2016
by Dafyd Martindale
In late July when Four Corners exposed the horrific abuse that was occurring within Northern Territory youth detention centres, there was a national outcry.
Now, barely a month later, evidence has come to light that similar abuses are occurring in Queensland, too.
On August 30, footage emerged of a 17-year-old restrained in a spit mask at the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre, a Queensland adult prison.
In any other State or territory in Australia, the teen would have been in a youth detention centre.
But 17-year-olds are treated as adults in the Queensland justice system.
The Arthur Gorrie incident prompted an immediate call for change by the Queensland Law Society, which has a long-held view that children should never be kept in adult prisons.
The Law Society says Queensland’s system of treating 17-year-olds as adult offenders is out-dated, barbaric and appalling.
We can only agree.
Here’s a local case in point:
Recently a 17-year-old youth was found on licensed premises in the South Burnett.
Had he been a year older, no offence would have been committed.
But because he was below the age of 18, his presence on licensed premises was an offence.
Taken to its logical conclusion, he could have faced court as an adult for being too young … too young to drink alcohol, but not too young to be shipped off to an adult prison.
We think most fair-minded people would agree this is a ludicrous situation. And if the worst came to the worst in court, manifestly unjust to boot.
But it’s how the law works as it currently stands.
The rest of Australia set the age of adulthood at 18 a long time ago.
We think it’s time Queensland joined the overwhelming majority and did the same.
- Related article: Law Society Calls For Reform
