Report alleges police abuse of child detainees and urges overhaul of Victoria's youth crime policy

The Commission for Children and Young People delivered a report to Victoria's parliament detailing allegations that children between 10 and 14 were subjected to physical violence and intimidation by police officers during detention, with examples ranging from being slammed against a brick wall to having a firearm aimed at a teen's head. Data in the report show most youths supervised by Youth Justice over the past three years re-offended as they grew older, and research cited suggests early criminal-justice contact escalates future offending.

Commissioner Tracy Beaton called for the state to replace its punitive model with evidence-based preventative measures, especially ahead of the November election. The report also urged reinstating the plan to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14, a target previously abandoned. New Premier Ben Carroll, who succeeded Jacinta Allan, said he will continue a hardline crime policy, but Beaton sees the leadership change as an opening for reform. Victoria Police responded by noting that cautions reduce re-offending and suggested a support-focused response for children under 14.