Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has issued a heartfelt apology to victims of crime, acknowledging her government’s past failure to address rising crime rates across the state. Premier Jacinta Allan apologises to victims, announces overhaul of bail laws. Speaking on Wednesday, Allan admitted that the decision to water down bail laws in late 2023 was a mistake, and emphasized that the new set of laws, which she described as “the toughest in Australia,” would better reflect community expectations.
“I do acknowledge that we got it wrong,” Allan said. “The current laws do not reflect community expectations,” she continued, addressing the growing concern over a youth crime wave that has shaken Melbourne in recent months. The Premier expressed deep sorrow for the trauma victims have suffered and stressed her commitment to making meaningful changes.
Under the new reforms, courts will be mandated to remand repeat offenders and apply stricter tests when determining bail, with community safety taking precedence over individual rights. The provision that required youth offenders to be held only as a last resort will be scrapped, and tougher bail tests will be introduced for serious crimes such as home invasions and carjackings, even when no weapons are involved.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny acknowledged that the changes would likely increase remand rates but emphasized that the priority was curbing violent and repeat offending. “These laws are targeted squarely at the risks of young people committing serious crimes while out on bail,” Kilkenny said.
The reforms have been warmly welcomed by the Police Association of Victoria, which hailed the changes as a step towards greater community safety. Secretary Wayne Gatt described the overhaul as a necessary move to protect innocent people and families from the growing threat of crime.
The new bail laws come in the wake of a series of high-profile incidents, including violent home invasions committed by teenagers, and will soon be presented to Parliament for approval.
