Adults who recruit children to commit serious crimes in Victoria could face life imprisonment under new legislation introduced into state parliament by the Allan Government.
The proposed laws would create a new aggravated offence of recruiting a child to commit a serious crime, targeting organised crime figures accused of using minors to carry out offences such as arson, carjacking and home invasion.
Premier Jacinta Allan said Victorians were “rightly appalled” by reports of criminal groups using children, including some with intellectual disability, to commit violent crimes for profit.
“Organised crime bosses who recruit kids to torch venues and invade homes deserve no sympathy.
They are preying on children and putting Victorians at risk.”
The new offence would apply even if the child does not ultimately carry out the crime.
Recruiting a child to commit a crime is already an offence in Victoria. The government says 64 charges have been laid under existing laws. Last year, Labor increased the maximum penalty for that offence from 10 to 15 years in prison. The new aggravated offence would go further by introducing a maximum life sentence where a child is recruited to commit one of 71 specified serious crimes.
The listed offences include arson, carjacking and home invasion, crimes that have become central to Victoria’s law-and-order debate amid concern over youth offending and organised crime recruitment.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said the legislation was intended to send a stronger warning to adults who exploit children.
“These laws send a clear message: those who recruit children to commit crime will face the full force of the law.”
The government says the legislation will also make prosecutions easier by removing the requirement to prove that the adult knew the child was underage.
Minister for Police Anthony Carbines said organised crime groups were deliberately using children as a way to distance themselves from the offences.
“Organised crime groups are recruiting children to do their dirty work. We will not stand by and watch this happen.”
The announcement follows months of concern over firebombings and violent attacks linked to Melbourne’s hospitality sector. Victoria Police’s Operation Eclipse has resulted in more than 65 arrests and 370 charges connected to recent arson attacks, according to the government.
It was reported in May that Melbourne’s hospitality industry had been hit by a wave of arson, shootings and intimidation, with police investigating dozens of incidents and organised crime links. The report said many of those arrested were minors allegedly recruited through encrypted apps and paid small amounts to carry out attacks.
The Allan Government has also provided $5 million to boost technology in the State Command and Coordination Centre, saying it will support Victoria Police operations against organised criminal activity.
The proposed life-sentence offence builds on the government’s broader “Adult Time for Violent Crime” approach. In December 2025, Victoria’s parliament passed laws that allow children aged 14 and over to face adult sentencing for some serious violent crimes, including possible life sentences in extreme cases.
Those laws were strongly criticised by legal and youth justice advocates, who argued that harsher sentences would not address the causes of youth crime and could harm vulnerable children. Human rights and justice reform groups said punitive responses risk worsening long-term offending rather than preventing it.
The government argues the new recruitment offence is different because it targets adults and organised crime figures who exploit children, rather than focusing only on young offenders.
Victoria’s crime debate has become a major political battleground ahead of the next state election. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson and the Coalition have accused Labor of failing to keep communities safe. In contrast, the Allan Government has accused the Liberals of planning to cut frontline services, including funding for the Violence Reduction Unit and Victoria Police.
The Coalition has also announced its own tougher “adult crime, adult time” justice policy, proposing to expand the list of offences that would expose young offenders to adult penalties and stricter bail consequences.
The government says increasing maximum penalties sets a benchmark for the seriousness of an offence and is likely to increase sentencing outcomes more broadly.
However, critics are likely to question whether heavier penalties will translate into more convictions, given concerns previously raised in parliament about the number of charges and convictions under earlier child recruitment laws. In November 2025, the opposition said there had been 32 charges under Labor’s child recruitment laws at that time and no convictions, questioning whether higher penalties alone would be effective.
For now, the Allan Government is framing the legislation as a direct strike at organised crime “puppet masters” using children to shield themselves from responsibility.
If passed, the new offence would mark one of Victoria’s toughest penalties aimed at adults who recruit children into serious criminal offending.
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