Declining Protection of Children’s Rights in Australia
In a stark revelation, Human Rights Watch’s “World Report 2025” highlights significant violations against children in Australia’s criminal justice system. The report notes that in 2024, children in Queensland and Western Australia were detained in facilities built for adults, while the Northern Territory controversially reduced the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10.
Global Context of Human Rights Violations
The extensive 546-page report analyzes human rights practices across more than 100 countries. In her introduction, Executive Director Tirana Hassan emphasizes the troubling trend of governments silencing political dissent and unlawfully detaining activists and journalists. Concurrently, armed groups have instigated violence, forcibly displacing civilians and obstructing humanitarian efforts.
Growing Concerns Over Australia’s Human Rights Reputation
“The Australian government’s treatment of children in its criminal justice system went from bad to worse in 2024,” stated Annabel Hennessy, the Australia researcher at Human Rights Watch. This deterioration in children’s rights is described as a serious stain on Australia’s international human rights standing.
Need for Legal Reform
In light of these alarming trends, a parliamentary inquiry in May proposed the establishment of a Human Rights Act to enshrine protections of human rights under Australian law, emphasizing the urgent need for reform.
Ongoing Issues with Asylum Seekers
Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers further exacerbates the human rights crisis, with the government contravening international obligations by sending refugees who arrive by boat to offshore detention centers in Nauru. Moreover, the Northern Territory announced the disturbing return of spit hoods—head coverings deemed dangerous and potentially fatal.
Ineffective Government Action on Global Abuses
Additionally, Australia rarely employs sanctions against those involved in human rights violations abroad, notably failing to take action against Chinese officials implicated in abuses. As the only democracy in the West lacking a national human rights act, the call for an immediate establishment of a comprehensive Human Rights Act grows louder.
– Australia’s treatment of children in the criminal justice system worsened in 2024. – Children are detained in adult facilities; age of criminal responsibility dropped to 10. – Human Rights Watch condemns the government’s actions as damaging to its global reputation. – Ongoing rights concerns include treatment of asylum seekers and lack of sanctions against human rights abusers.
In summary, Australia faces significant criticism for its handling of children’s rights, particularly within the criminal justice system, as detailed in Human Rights Watch’s report. The reduction of criminal responsibility and the detention of children in adult facilities are alarming trends. Additionally, ongoing human rights violations against asylum seekers and the absence of a national human rights act highlight the urgent need for legal and policy reforms to safeguard rights.
Original Source: www.hrw.org
