Should we lower the age of criminal responsibility to 12?

Ratfink (Australia)

I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. It should be left over and in serious crimes – for example murder or massive criminal damage, car theft or assault with intent to cause serious injury, firearms use and kidnapping – then the child should be evaluated by a team of at least three psychologists and psychiatrists to determine their level of comprehension of right and wrong. Having a group of people perform the evaluation independently should eliminate any bias.

If the child understands the difference then they should be tried as an adult. If however they have learning disabilities or have been influenced, then juvenile penalties should be applied.

For minor offences the child should be held accountable for the financial costs if they are a juvenile. This debt should be held over until they are an adult and interest at the relevant bank rates should be used to calculate the total debt. The money should be taken from their pre-tax wage or salary.