There are calls for Queensland's new 'Adult crime, adult time' laws to be expanded, after the alleged stabbing by the 13- year- old. The teenager has since been charged with attempted murder.
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00:00On Monday evening, a 63-year-old woman, an employee of Coles, was allegedly stabbed by
00:08a 13-year-old boy at a shopping centre in Yamanto, which is a suburb of Ipswich, in
00:14what police will allege was an entirely random attack.
00:19Now that boy was subdued with the assistance of the public a short time later and has since
00:24been taken into police custody.
00:27He's now been charged with attempted murder.
00:30Now late last year, Queensland had a change of government for the first time in nearly
00:35a decade, with the Liberal National Party, under David Crisafulli, coming to power with
00:40a message of being tough on crime, and their signature policy was adult crime, adult time.
00:47Now under that policy, which has since become legislation, minors can be sentenced to the
00:52same penalties as adults for certain offences, including things like murder, grievous bodily
00:58harm, serious assault, and some lesser charges as well, like burglary.
01:04Attempted murder is not on that list.
01:07So knowing that this case has to go through court, if this young boy was convicted, those
01:14harsher penalties would not be available to the judge during sentencing.
01:19Now Premier David Crisafulli was questioned about this yesterday and asked why attempted
01:24murder was not on the list of charges, given that there are some lesser offences on there.
01:29He said that this new legislation would undergo some changes in the coming months and years,
01:34although he didn't say expressly that he would seek to add attempted murder to the list when
01:40Parliament resumes here in Brisbane next month.