01/04/2026
Last week, the Office of the Victims’ Commissioner appeared before the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee to discuss the Victims Commissioner’s submission on the Adult Crime, Adult Time amendment bill.
We reiterated that while we support protecting the rights of children who are victims, a young offender’s background does not lessen the harm of their crime on victims and their families.
Victims of both adult and youth crime continue to tell us the sentencing process in Queensland feels unbalanced — with too much focus on the offender and not enough on the impact and ongoing trauma experienced by victims and their families.
Victims need meaningful opportunities to participate in the justice process, including enough time to prepare a Victim Impact Statement. That’s why the Victims’ Commissioner’s submission highlighted the importance of reviewing the Victim Impact Statement regime, as recommended by the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council — a review the government has now committed to.
Read the Victims’ Commissioner’s submission here. https://ow.ly/ZIms50YBzWy