Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan pledged to introduce the toughest bail laws in Australia. The new laws will mean jail is no longer treated as a last resort for youth offenders who commit serious crimes. Premier Allan announced the changes, emphasising that they would “put community safety above all” in bail decisions. The government will also move to ban machetes as part of a broader crackdown on knife crime.
The premier’s announcement comes in response to growing concerns from community groups, including the Greek community, over the rise in serious youth crimes such as home invasions, carjackings, arson, and ultra-violent attacks—mainly perpetrated by young men and women aged 14 to 18.
The voice of the victims
Neos Kosmos is aware of Greek Australians who have fallen victim to home invasions. Such is the case of Andreas Tziotzis, who experienced a shocking home invasion in the early hours of March 5.
Thieves broke into his Clayton residence while he, his wife, and his mother-in-law were asleep. Tziotzis told Neos Kosmos that he was left “stunned” by the incident. Security cameras at his home captured two masked intruders armed with large knives entering the property through the front door.
In another instance, Flora Socratous was woken around 6 a.m. on January 6 by the sound of a window rod and confronted the intruder in her kitchen.
“When Flora walked into her kitchen, she saw a masked stranger with a backpack standing in front of her. She pulled out her phone and started filming the encounter, demanding answers on how they got into her home, what they were doing there, and what they had in their backpack.”
Another incident in early March at the Bendigo Marketplace shopping centre saw nine youths allegedly attack a security guard, rip off his turban, and assault him. Some of the teens involved were reportedly in school uniform.
Video footage showed the security guard being punched, kicked, and dragged to the ground.
Allan hears the Greek Community
Premier Allan told Neos Kosmos, “The Greek community has been impacted by crime, and we are acting. We’re introducing the toughest bail laws in Australia to keep Victorians safe.
“Our tough new bail laws will put community safety first.
“Respect for the law matters.”
She stated that “repeat offenders will have real consequences, including a second-strike rule.”
“Stronger laws mean safer communities.
“We will continue working with the Greek community to deliver real results because when we work together, we are stronger, and we get things done.”
Many of the offenders in recent crimes were already on bail—just like James Gargasoulas, who drove into Melbourne’s busy Bourke Street Mall in 2017 while on bail, killing six people and injuring dozens more.
The President of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) welcomed the announcement: “I welcome the strong announcement by Premier Allan for bail reform.
I welcome the strong announcement by Premier Allan for bail reform – Bill Papastergiadis President of GCM
“It is important that the Premier has acknowledged the need for law reform and actioned a response. We are keen to work with the Premier on formulating a comprehensive solution to ensure community safety is maintained,” said Bill Papastergiadis.
Under the proposed reforms, those charged with serious gun, knife, and arson offences, as well as non-aggravated home invasion and carjacking, will face tougher hurdles to secure bail. Additionally, the government will reintroduce the offences of committing a serious crime while on bail and breaching a bail condition. Machetes will also be classified as designated prohibited weapons under separate legislation.
However, Allan said that some safeguards from the 2024 bail changes will remain to protect vulnerable community members, such as the Aboriginal community. A bill will be introduced to parliament on Tuesday, and Allan wants it to pass both houses by the end of Thursday. She has challenged the opposition and minor parties to waive it through.
Social issues vs individual agency
Dr Marietta Martinovic, Associate Professor in Criminology and Justice Studies at RMIT University, called the premier’s announcement “incredibly sad.”
“These things don’t work,” she told Neos Kosmos.
“They just propel people into becoming harder criminals and commit the taxpayer to millions and millions of dollars to come.”
Asked what she would say to Greek Australians who have been subjected to violent crime, Dr Martinovic acknowledged that, “those things are very real—the fear of crime is very real and very sad.
“Unfortunately, the answer lies outside reactive, penal populism-based policies”
She emphasised the need for mentoring programs, particularly for “many of whom come from broken families.”
“Young people don’t think about consequences,” she said, and argued that harsher laws will not deter youth offenders.
“What we need to do as a society is engage them positively, provide role models, and offer alternatives to all the social media hype and criminal activities related to that.”
When Neos Kosmos asked if she was suggesting young offenders lack agency and are merely victims of circumstance, Dr Martinovic responded said, “They may have agency, but they’re not making decisions properly, and this is what I’m telling you.”
She called for “individualised support and treatment plans” since different interventions work for different individuals.
Dr Maria Giannacopoulos, Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Criminology, in the School of Law at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) said aspiration in Greek populations and success, might make them distinct among poorer residents in areas of high immigrant populations also plays a role.
“The impact of recent crime events on Greek communities, although unfortunate, is less about them being targeted as Greeks and more about them having some wealth relative to other groups in the area.
“Crimes against property, like home invasion and car theft, often relate to who has resources and who doesn’t.
Although an unpopular position, to understand the drivers of crime, we must be willing to see social class. To effectively address crime, less punitive approaches are needed and more attention on resource distribution and building healthier communities, across cultures”
“The impact of recent crime events on Greek communities, although unfortunate, is less about them being targeted as Greeks and more about them having some wealth relative to other groups in the area” – Dr Giannacopoulos
Dr Giannacopoulos added that “that’s not saying that they should have their cars stolen” and posited what is in her view “, a clashing of class” rather than communities. Focusing on economic disparities, she said, “These are fundamentally class questions”.
The expert said she understands the victims and the trauma they feel, but like Dr Martinovic, she is not convinced that extra policing and tougher bail laws will have the desired impact.
“Those punitive policies do not address the drivers of crime, which are the socio-economic causes. I mean, if we went back 50 years, it would be the Greeks on the other side,” said Dr Giannacopoulos.
Neos Kosmos pointed to the brazenness and severity of crimes against the person, in comparison to what was once termed ‘ethnic gangs’ or ‘ethnic crime’ and asked if this time there was an element of ‘trend’ or ‘fashion’ fuelled by social media.
Dr Giannocopoulos did not discount “wanting to be famous” and “the social media aspect” and said, “it points to me to some sort of breakdown in communities and the home environment.”
“Although an unpopular position, to understand the drivers of crime we must be willing to see social class. To effectively address crime, less punitive approaches are needed and more attention on resource distribution and building healthier communities, across cultures”
Crime statistics – less overall crime, more brazen attacks
The latest Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) figures show that youth crime has decreased due to COVID-19 pandemic closures however, “the 12 months to 31 March 2023, the number of criminal incidents increased, up 5.6 per cent or 19,042 to 361,140 incidents. The rate also increased, up 3.4 per cent to 5,344.6 per 100,000 Victorians”.
“The victimisation rate increased by 4.9 per cent to 3,093.0 reports per 100,000 Victorians. The number of person-related victim reports was up 7.1 per cent to 208,998, and organisation reports were up 13.9 per cent to 72,331.”
Female youth offenders (2019) increased, with crimes committed by 16- and 17-year-old girls rising by 17.1 per cent and 37.8 per cent, respectively. However, the picture is not as grim as it looks in media,
According to the CSA, youth offending among 10 to 13-year-olds accounts for just 1 per cent of all alleged offender incidents, compared to 10 per cent for 14 to 17-year-olds and 88 per cent for adults.
The number of unique offenders in this age group has declined. Between 2012-13 and 2021-22, alleged 10-year-old offenders dropped by 67 per cent (from 115 to 38), while 11-year-olds fell by 43 per cent. Most faced minimal legal consequences—only 9 per cent had charges proven in court, while 54 per cent were cautioned.
A concerning 57 per cent of 10 to 13-year-old alleged offenders in 2021-22 had previously been recorded as a primary Affected Family Member, child witness to family violence, or victim of a crime—highlighting the need for early intervention and support.
Meanwhile, male youth offenders aged 14 have decreased by 13.4 per cent, from 2,291 to 1,983 in the past year. Over the last decade, the biggest drop has been among 16—and 17-year-old males, down 31.6 percent in that 10-year period.
For those who have been victims of increasingly whrat are brazen and violent crimes, diversionary programs or a focus on social issues—like those suggested by Dr Martinovic and Dr Giannacopoulos—are of little interest.
In response to criticisms from various social justice advocates for a softer, approach to what seems like a spate of violent crimes against the person, Premier Allan said, “I’ll tell you now, those people will not be the ordinary people in the streets of Victoria who have been subjected to aggravated burglaries day after day.”
