Paedophiles should receive 10 years in jail, while reoffenders should be put away for life, said Youth Off The Streets CEO Fr Chris Riley. He welcomed Queensland Premier Anna Bligh's statement that mandatory jail sentences would be required for people convicted of sexual offences against children under 16, unless exceptional circumstances were proven, reports The Catholic Weekly.
The reforms come after the Queensland Government admitted that almost a third of offenders convicted of sexual and violent crimes against children walked free.
Brisbane's Courier Mail newspaper reported that under the laws, judges would take into account a victim's age as an aggravating factor in violent crimes.
Fr Chris said the significance of the proposal "will be determined by the length of mandatory sentencing".
"I would hope that this crime is treated with all the seriousness it deserves and that sentences should be extremely significant - 10 years and, if they reoffend, should stay in for life.
He also called for paedophiles not to be released if they could not prove that they have been rehabilitated.
Young people who offend this way should be looked at under "the Young Offenders Act with an emphasis on rehabilitation that is crime specific," he said, adding that there are positive treatment programs available for young people.
SIC: CTHAUS