Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion addresses United Nations, labels state youth crime laws 'disgraceful'
A Queensland disability advocate has used an address to the United Nations (UN) in New York to call out Premier David Crisafulli and his government's "disgraceful state of youth justice".
Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion (QAI) sent a delegation to the UN over concerns about the state government's flagship "adult crime, adult time" policy.
The laws mean juvenile offenders convicted of serious offences — including murder, manslaughter, and rape — are sentenced as adults and subject to harsher penalties.
Mr Crisafulli has repeatedly dismissed criticism from the UN since passing those laws, with two human rights experts labelling them "incompatible with basic child rights".
In an address to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on Wednesday, QAI human rights lawyer Tom Dixon said the laws would fail to improve community safety.
"Instead of listening to these experts, our state premier, David Crisafulli, has declared that the UN doesn't control him," he said.
"Human rights must be the minimum standard that control all governments here today.
"Human rights are the key to peace and prosperity for our nation, and human rights are what we hope to show you all in Brisbane 2032 when we host the Olympic and Paralympic Games."
Mr Dixon said Queensland's criminal justice system was ill-equipped to deal with children with a disability, referencing Youth Justice Department figures which showed more than 70 per cent of children in prison had a disability as of 2024.
Queensland court data, obtained by QAI and seen by the ABC, shows the number of cases involving children whose disability meant they were found not to be criminally responsible increased by more than 2,000 per cent between 2020 and 2024 — from 10 to 211.
"Upon arrest, children are not screened to identify disability. When incarcerated, they cannot access existing disability supports or find new ones," Mr Dixon said.
"Locking up children with disability is incredibly harmful, inflexible and punitive. Watch houses and prisons are unsafe for children with disability.
"Children with disability are punished by solitary confinement or increased sentences for their inability to comply with strict prison conditions, leading to an escalating trajectory of trauma, criminalisation and harm."
Mr Dixon called on the state government and other Australian jurisdictions to invest in "individualised, disability informed solutions".
A state government spokesperson said it had a mandate to implement tough on crime laws following its election last year.
"The LNP government is about to embark on the biggest injection in early intervention and rehabilitation for young offenders in this state's history," the spokesperson said.
"We were also elected to look after the human rights of the victims of the youth crime crisis that has been fuelled by weaker laws."
Last month, Mr Crisafulli labelled UN representatives criticising the laws as "United Nations boffins".
"We stand up for Queenslanders, not unelected officials who are a long way from this place," he said in parliament.
On Monday, the UN Youth Australia's Queensland Division wrote an open letter to the premier, describing his comments as "nothing short of disappointing".
"To say that they have no part in domestic policy-making is not only ignorant to the processes of international law, but demonstrates a level of blind self-righteousness that young Queenslanders will not stand for," president Steph Archer wrote.
"Young people feel demonised in this state. They cannot go out at night, hang out with friends in public, or catch public transport without fearing they will be accused of criminal activities."
Mr Crisafulli issued a rebuke of the commentary in parliament on Tuesday.
"When I hear a representative from the UN, from the youth arm, saying that young Queenslanders are scared to go out because of the laws, I say ... young Queenslanders are only scared of people holding knives, young Queenslanders are only scared of people who deserve to face the consequences for those laws."
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