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The government has announced that 12 new offenses, primarily focused on domestic and sexual violence, have been added to the list of crimes covered under existing legislation. These additions were suggested by the Expert Legal Panel, aiming to address pressing societal issues.
With these new inclusions, the legislation now encompasses a total of 45 offenses. Notably, it applies the same penalties to youth offenders as it does to adults, with individuals as young as 10 years old facing equivalent consequences.
The recent changes detail specific offenses and outline maximum sentences that vary depending on the severity or any aggravating circumstances surrounding the crime.
- Assault occasioning bodily harm - 7 years imprisonment
- Conspiring to murder - 14 years imprisonment
- Unlawful stalking, intimidation, harassment or abuse - 10 years imprisonment
- Riot - life imprisonment
- Abuse of persons with an impairment of the mind - 14 years imprisonment
- Indecent treatment of a child under the age of 16 - 20 years imprisonment
- Choking, suffocation, or strangulation in a domestic setting - 7 years imprisonment
- Disabling in order to commit indictable offence - life imprisonment
- Stupefying in order to commit indictable offence - life imprisonment
- Endangering the safety of a person in a vehicle with intent - life imprisonment
- Aiding suicide - life imprisonment
- Administering poison with intent to harm – 14 years imprisonment
The newly expanded Making Queensland Safer Laws are set to be presented to parliament this week, signaling a significant step in the ongoing effort to enhance public safety.
Since the legislation was first introduced in late 2024, the government reports that over 4,000 youth offenders have been charged, collectively accounting for more than 19,000 offenses. The new measures are expected to further bolster the state’s ability to address and reduce crime.
Premier David Crisafulli cited police data showing the number of crime victims had fallen 7.2 per cent in 2025, compared to the year before, and attributed the reduction to the legislation.
“We promised Queenslanders we would continue to strengthen our youth crime laws and put the rights of victims first, and that’s exactly what we are doing,” Crisafulli said.
“Expanding Adult Crime, Adult Time sends a strong message to young thugs, that there are consequences for their actions.”
Law Council of Australia President, Juliana Warner, has previously described adult punishment for children as a “shameful societal failure” and a breach of international human rights obligations that can irreparably harm children and disproportionately affects First Nations children, children from low-income families, those in out-of-home care and those with a disability.
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