Government announcement on Fagin’s Law

Shadow Attorney General, John Pesutto

Existing offences
Today’s announcement by the Andrews Government that it will introduce a new offence targeting adults who encourage youths to commit crimes, will only reinforce community concerns that Daniel Andrews has no credibility on law and order issues.
It is already an offence under Victorian law for adults to implicate youths in criminal activity.  Whether it’s drug trafficking, thefts or conspiracy and incitement to commit offences, adults will break the law when they engage or encourage youths to carry out or assist in their crimes.
These existing offences carry potentially longer jail terms than the 10-year maximum the Government is proposing.
No fixing of bail?
Victorians will also be concerned that the Government is still refusing to address the crises around bail and sentencing that it has created.
This mess of the Government’s making has seen an increasing number of violent youths repeatedly breach their bail and commit serious and horrifying crimes like car-jackings.
Government’s poor form on youth justice
Victorians will not be conned into thinking this Government is tough and genuinely committed to addressing the crisis in our justice system when just last week, the Government humiliatingly gave up trying to crack down on violent youths who had trashed youth justice facilities and threatened staff with serious harm.
Daniel Andrews and Jenny Mikakos simply allowed violent youths responsible for the destruction to go back to the facilities they had tried to destroy.  So much for getting tough.
It will take years to repair the damage the Andrews Government has caused to Victoria’s justice system.

Media contact: James Duncan      0457 758 018         james.duncan@opposition.vic.gov.au