As well as an internationally embarrassing approach to the climate crisis, Australia is now facing renewed criticism of its high rates of child incarceration. At a UN human rights session earlier this week, more than 30 countries have called on Australian authorities to raise the age of criminal responsibility. The subject has been bubbling away in the public consciousness for a while now, with the hashtag #RaiseTheAge routinely trending on Twitter as citizens call on the government to change the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years of age.
In punishing succession, 31 countries including Canada, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain and more, expressed deep concerns about Australia’s refusal to raise the age of criminal responsibility. It’s a policy that experts believe contributes to Australia’s incredibly high rates of incarceration of Indigenous children. When examining the statistics, it’s an incredibly bleak picture. Despite Indigenous children making up only 6% of young people aged 10 to 17 in Austalia, they make up 57% of those in youth detention. And if the focus is narrowed to just between the ages of 10 and 13? 78%.
“The fact that kids as young as 10—and let’s face it, the majority of these are Indigenous kids—are still being sent to jail is not only in opposition to the UN’s own recommendations, but it is just morally wrong,” said Amnesty International Australia’s Indigenous Rights Lead, Nolan Hunter, per The Guardian.
The countries at the UN session also criticised Australia’s border policies. Delegates specifically noted Australia’s offshore processing and refusal to settle people who arrived by boat—quite rich when you consider Scott Morrison’s recent tone-deaf sympathy for the colonists on the first fleet.
“The UN review made it clear that the Australian government hasn’t followed through on some of its key past pledges to the UN Human Rights Council,” Elaine Pearson, the Australia director at Human Rights Watch said in a statement.
“It’s disappointing to see the Australian government doubling down on policies that have caused immense harm to asylum seekers and have been repeatedly condemned by UN officials and other governments,” Pearson continued.
“While Australia has abandoned its responsibilities towards these people, it’s good to see the rest of the world has not.”
Lead image via Ian Waldie/Getty Images.
