Jailing of nearly 500 children under 13 a ‘failure’ by Australia’s top legal officers, advocates say

Justice and health groups say at least 65% of the children jailed in 2020 are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

The ongoing failure" of Australia's top legal officers to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years old has seen 499 under-13s sent to jail in the past year alone, according to a coalition of 47 justice and health organisations.

The coalition - representing welfare, youth and legal advocates, including Anglicare and Acoss - says attorneys general have failed" to take action, despite being handed an expert report overwhelmingly recommending that all states and territories and the federal government change laws to keep children out of prison."