Bec Judd’s latest plea to Premier Jacinta Allan amid Melbourne youth crime crisis
Bec Judd continues her fight against youth crime with a renewed public call to get repeat offenders off the streets.
The former AFL WAG and influencer has responded cautiously to Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan’s plans to overhaul the state’s bail laws amid rising youth crime in Melbourne.
On Tuesday, the prime minister backtracked on an earlier government promise to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14, while which promised to ‘introduce tougher sentences for repeat offenders and serious juvenile delinquents’.
Judd, a self-proclaimed crime fighter in her affluent suburb of Brighton, welcomed the changes.
But she believes more needs to be done to ensure Victorians feel safer.
“This is a start,” she told her 750,000 followers on Instagram.
She pointed out that in the past 12 months, “three innocent lives” had reportedly been lost to “unruly teenagers”.
“Victorians have never felt more unsafe in their own homes. Violent, repeat offenders need to be off the streets. Let’s see how these changes play out,” she added.
Bec Judd (pictured) has continued her one-woman fight against youth crime
The AFL WAG has spoken out about the Victorian Government’s plans to tighten bail laws
This isn’t the first time Judd has made her feelings about juvenile delinquency known.
Earlier this month, Judd expressed her anger after one of the youths suspected of being involved in the kidnapping of Melbourne teenager Benjamin Phikhohpoom, which left him with permanent brain damage, walked free despite pleading guilty.
“Victoria, this is not okay, but unfortunately just another case of a violent criminal going free because our laws are weak,” Judd wrote on social media.
She also recently criticised Melbourne as “woke, broke and violent” after residents were encouraged to fit Apple AirTags in their cars during a crime wave in the city.
The amended legislation still raises the age of criminal liability from 10 to 12 years.
Premier Jacinta Allan has unveiled the government’s plans to overhaul the state’s bail laws
Under former Premier Daniel Andrews, the government pledged in 2023 to raise the age limit to 14 by 2027, with exceptions for serious crimes such as murder and terrorism.
But after a series of high-profile incidents involving young offenders, including two fatal car crashes in the past two months, Ms Allan said the sentence would remain at 12 years.
“This decision was taken at another time by another government with another prime minister,” Prime Minister Allan told reporters.
There are no children under the age of 14 locked up in Victoria and the Premier said passing the Youth Justice Act would ensure this remained the case.
Her government will introduce amendments to the bill this week, including changes to the Bail Act to allow people to remain in custody if they pose an “unacceptable risk” of committing crimes such as aggravated burglary, carjacking, dangerous driving or domestic violence.
Adults and children who commit a serious offence while on bail will also be criminalised.
Attorney General Jaclyn Symes argued that the new offense was different from the felony bail jumping offense that was repealed in March.
“It was about holding vulnerable groups,” she said.
“What we are bringing back is a crime of causing serious harm of great magnitude.”
Victoria Police Chief Superintendent Shane Patton welcomed the crackdown on dangerous driving, serious burglaries, house robberies and armed robberies.