Victoria to let victims of serious youth crimes receive release notifications
Victims of the state’s most severe youth offences will soon be able to register for alerts when offenders are due to leave prison, aligning Victoria with the rest of Australia.
From the end of the month, Victoria will introduce a victim-notification register for the most serious youth crimes, allowing families to apply for alerts about parole hearings and release dates. The scheme expands an existing adult-offender register to include offences such as murder, rape, home invasions, carjackings, serious sexual crimes and assault, but it will not cover convictions that occurred before the reform.
The Youth Parole Board will be required to place families’ submissions at the centre of its parole deliberations. Advocates like Natalie Gordon, whose brother was killed by a 16-year-old in 2024, praised the move, while Minister for Victims Support Ros Spence said it ensures victims are no longer an afterthought. Jesuit Social Services chief Julie Edwards highlighted the need for restorative-justice opportunities alongside the register. The changes arrive alongside broader youth-justice reforms, including new police guidelines that favour non-custodial responses where appropriate.
Why it matters
It gives families of youth-crime victims a voice and information previously unavailable, aiming to improve safety and accountability.
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