The State Government is serious about taking a strong stance on crime and has already implemented a number of law and order reforms since taking office.
The Criminal Law (Two Strike Child Sex Offenders) Amendment Act 2012, which commenced in July 2012, provides a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of 20 years, for certain repeat child sexual offenders.
The Criminal Law Amendment Act 2012, which commenced in August 2012, toughens the sentences for the offence of murder and murder or serious assault of a police officer.
In April this year, new laws were introduced to better protect our children:
· Penalties for child pornography offences were increased from 5 years to 14 years imprisonment to reflect the seriousness of such abhorrent offending.
· A new offence relating to grooming of a child under 16 years of age has been introduced.
· The maximum penalty increased for those who procure a child to engage in sexual acts.
· Closing a loophole that provided a defence to incest for de-facto parents who have sexual relationships with a partner’s child when they reach the age of consent.
New laws have been passed to toughen sentencing for drug traffickers:
· Drug traffickers will be required to serve a mandatory minimum 80% of their sentence.
· Individuals who supply schedule 1 drugs (such as heroin or amphetamines) to children will now be subject to a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The new laws will also help police fight the war on synthetic drugs in Queensland by making substances that are ‘intended’ to have the same effect as a dangerous drug illegal.
This Government is committed to breaking the cycle of youth crime with the introduction of youth boot camps in Cairns, the Gold Coast, Townsville, Rockhampton and the Fraser Coast which aim to reduce the number of repeat offenders and give young people a better chance of turning their lives around.
The Government has also cracked down on graffiti crime by mandating that offenders remove graffiti and by increasing the maximum penalty of all graffiti crime from five to seven years.
