Premier Jacinta Allan unveils Australia’s toughest bail laws
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan pledged to introduce the toughest bail laws in Australia. The new laws will mean jail is no longer treated as a last resort for youth offenders who commit serious crimes. Premier Allan unveiled the changes, emphasising that they would “put community safety above all” in bail decisions. The government will also move to ban machetes as part of a broader crackdown on knife crime.
The premier’s announcement comes in response to growing concerns from community groups, including the Greek community, over the rise in serious youth crimes such as home invasions, carjackings, arson, and ultra-violent attacks—mainly perpetrated by young men aged 14 to 18.
Neos Kosmos is aware of Greek Australians who have fallen victim to home invasions. Such is the case of Andreas Tziotzis, who experienced a shocking home invasion in the early hours of March 5.
Thieves broke into his Clayton residence while he, his wife, and his mother-in-law were asleep. Tziotzis told Neos Kosmos that he was left “stunned” by the incident. Security cameras at his home captured two masked intruders armed with large knives entering the property through the front door.
In another instance, Flora Socratous was woken around 6 a.m. on January 6 by the sound of a window rod and confronted the intruder in her kitchen.
“When Flora walked into her kitchen, she saw a masked stranger with a backpack standing in front of her. She pulled out her phone and started filming the encounter, demanding answers on how they got into her home, what they were doing there, and what they had in their backpack.”
Another incident in early March at the Bendigo Marketplace shopping centre saw nine youths allegedly attack a security guard, rip off his turban, and assault him. Some of the teens involved were reportedly in school uniform.
Video footage showed the security guard being punched, kicked, and dragged to the ground.
Greek community has been impacted by crime
Premier Allan told Neos Kosmos, “The Greek community has been impacted by crime, and we are acting. We’re introducing the toughest bail laws in Australia to keep Victorians safe.
“Our tough new bail laws will put community safety first.
“Respect for the law matters.”
She stated that “repeat offenders will have real consequences, including a second-strike rule.”
“Stronger laws mean safer communities.
“We will continue working with the Greek community to deliver real results because when we work together, we are stronger, and we get things done.”
Many of the offenders in recent crimes were already on bail—just like James Gargasoulas, who drove into Melbourne’s busy Bourke Street Mall in 2017 while on bail, killing six people and injuring dozens more.
Community and expert reactions
The President of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) welcomed the announcement, “The Greek Community of Melbourne welcomes today’s strong announcement by Premier Allan for bail reform.
“It is important that the Premier has acknowledged the need for law reform and actioned a response. We are keen to work with the Premier on formulating a comprehensive solution to ensure community safety is maintained,” said Bill Papastergiadis.
Under the proposed reforms, those charged with serious gun, knife, and arson offences, as well as non-aggravated home invasion and carjacking, will face tougher hurdles to secure bail. Additionally, the government will reintroduce the offences of committing a serious crime while on bail and breaching a bail condition. Machetes will also be classified as designated prohibited weapons under separate legislation.
However, some safeguards from the 2024 bail changes will remain to protect vulnerable community members, such as the Aboriginal community, Allan said. A bill will be introduced to parliament on Tuesday, and Allan wants it to pass both houses by the end of Thursday. She has challenged the opposition and minor parties to waive it through.
Dr Marietta Martinovic, Associate Professor in Criminology and Justice Studies at RMIT University, called the premier’s announcement “incredibly sad.”
“These things don’t actually work,” she told Neos Kosmos.
“They just propel people into becoming harder criminals and commit the taxpayer to millions and millions of dollars to come.”
Asked what she would say to Greek Australians who have been subjected to violent crime, Dr Martinovic acknowledged that, “those things are very real—the fear of crime is very real and very sad.
“Unfortunately, the answer is lies outside reactive, penal populism-based policies.”
She emphasised the need for mentoring programs, particularly those “many who come from broken families.”
“Young people don’t think about consequences,” she said, and argued that harsher laws will not deter youth offenders.
“What we need to do as a society is engage them positively, provide role models, and offer alternatives to all the social media hype and criminal activities related to that.”
When Neos Kosmos asked if she was suggesting young offenders lack agency and are merely victims of circumstance, Dr Martinovic responded said, “They may have agency, but they’re not making decisions properly, and this is what I’m telling you.”
She called for “individualised support and treatment plans” since different interventions work for different individuals.
Crime statistics and policy debate
The latest figures from the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) show that youth crime has slightly decreased—since its peak post-COVID among young men.
However, female youth offenders have increased significantly, with crimes committed by 16- and 17-year-old girls rising by 17.1 per cent and 37.8 per cent, respectively.
Meanwhile, male youth offenders aged 14 have decreased by 13.4%, from 2,291 to 1,983 in the past year. Over the last decade, the largest drop has been among 16- and 17-year-old males, down 31.6 per cent.
For those who have been victims of increasingly brazen and violent crimes, diversionary programs—like those advocated by Dr Martinovic—are of little interest.
In response to calls for a softer approach, Premier Allan said, “I’ll tell you now, those people will not be the ordinary people in the streets of Victoria who have been subjected to aggravated burglaries day after day.”
The original article: belongs to NEOS KOSMOS .
