There were more than 500 children in Queensland watchhouses for 11 months of the past year, the Children’s Court annual report 2023-24 shows.
In the past year, 447 young people spent more than a week in a watchhouse and another 259 spent more than two weeks.
“Watchhouses are not meant for, or equipped to, hold prisoners for extended periods. They are not appropriate places for children to be housed,” Children’s Court President Deborah Richards stated in the report, which was tabled in parliament on Friday.
President Richards also pointed out that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people were disproportionately represented among the younger age groups in Childrens Court matters, with 82 per cent of 10 and 11-year-old children being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
“Given the small percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people relative to the total Queensland population, this translates to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young person being 15 times more likely to have had a proven charge finalised in Queensland than any other child who has been charged,” she said.
Childrens Court President Deborah Richards
“In terms of orders imposed, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children represented 46 per cent of the children who were referred to restorative justice conferencing and 67 per cent of all distinct offenders commencing a supervised youth justice order in 2023-2024.
“This translates to an Indigenous young person being 24.4 per cent more likely to commence a supervised youth justice order.
“Finally, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people continue to dominate the numbers in youth detention, accounting for between 65 and 71 per cent of young people in youth detention on an average day over the last four years.
“This translates to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people being 29.1 times more likely than other young people to have been held in detention in 2023-2024 and this is the highest rate in the last four years.”
The report showed that males represented 71 per cent of children convicted, and that 17-year-olds constituted the largest single age group to have proven charges finalised.
It also showed the three categories of theft and related offences; offences against justice procedures, government security and government operations; and unlawful entry with intent, burglary, and break and enter, represented 72 per cent of all charges finalised.
President Richards praised the work of magistrates, who handled most of the daily business of the Childrens Court.
“The specialist Childrens Court Magistrates have the unenviable job of not only dealing with youth justice matters but also the heavy workload of the Child Protection jurisdiction,” she said.
“The work in Child Protection is particularly stressful. The paperwork is voluminous, and the parties are often unrepresented and extremely stressed. The patience and good sense displayed by the magistrates when dealing with these matters is remarkable.
“In relation to youth justice sentencing, magistrates are often criticised and sometimes threatened, but they manage to remain impartial and apply the legislation as enacted by parliament. They deserve thanks and gratitude.”
Read the annual report here.
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