Life terms introduced for Victorian gangs who recruit children

The Victorian government said a new offence of recruiting a child to commit a serious crime will be introduced into Victoria's parliament today. Recruiting a child to commit an offence is already a crime, but the new legislation increases the penalty from 10 to 15 years in prison to a maximum penalty of life in jail. "Organised crime bosses who recruit kids to torch venues and invade homes deserve no sympathy," Premier Jacinta Allan said. "They are preying on children and putting Victorians at risk." The Victorian government said 64 charges of recruiting a child to carry out a crime had already been laid. "These laws send a clear message — those who recruit children to commit crime will face the full force of the law," Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said. The government is also introducing changes to the state's firearms laws that restrict licences to Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens who are permanent residents and non-citizens who need a firearm for work. It is also promising to strengthen background checks on people applying for firearms licences. The changes follow a review of the state's firearms laws carried out by former Victoria Police chief commissioner Ken Lay. Harsher penalties are also being introduced for people caught trafficking firearms, including jail terms of up to 15 years. The chief commissioner will also have the power to temporarily reclassify firearms, which the government said would allow police to respond faster to new technology. "We're taking quick action to stop the wrong people getting their hands on a single gun," Police Minister Anthony Carbines said. "These are sensible changes that don't disadvantage the vast majority of gun owners who do the right thing."