Austria plans supervised homes for juvenile offenders

Austria's Justice Minister Anna Sporrer is preparing legislation to establish closely supervised group homes for juvenile offenders, with the proposed bill expected by autumn. The initiative aims to provide a structured environment for minors who have committed offenses, without lowering the age of criminal responsibility. "I believe the age of criminal responsibility should remain at 14," Sporrer stated in an interview with "Kronen Zeitung." "However, when underage minors commit offenses, the state must react very consistently." She emphasized the need for state intervention, suggesting that taking children into state custody is necessary when "so much has gone wrong" in their upbringing, leading to "maldevelopments and complete neglect." Sporrer views such neglect as a "child welfare risk," noting that even a twelve-year-old can endanger themselves through criminal actions. The proposed legislation intends to "create possibilities to transfer custody to the state and place these children in small, socio-pedagogical residential communities with a close care ratio." She stressed that juvenile detention centers are not suitable for children, stating, "Children belong to be educated, not locked up." The minister clarified that while parental custody can already be removed from minors who commit offenses, the new homes would allow for holding children within the supervised setting. "This is not about locking them up in a prison. It's about protecting children from themselves," Sporrer explained. "They need to be removed from harmful environments and peer groups that incite them to commit crimes." She noted that older individuals often instigate offenses among minors precisely because they know the younger ones cannot be held legally responsible. "But children are children. They don't know what they are doing, and we must protect them from it. That's why we must be able to hold them for a period in these residential communities," she elaborated. "Just as a father or mother can say: You're staying home today because you have a test tomorrow. Only for a longer duration, until the pedagogical and therapeutic influence takes root."

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I believe the age of criminal responsibility should remain at 14. However, when underage minors commit offenses, the state must react very consistently.