Coalition to introduce indefinite jail sentences for repeat killers and sex offenders

• Repeat killers and serious sex offenders to receive indefinite jail sentences
• Can only be released if a court is satisfied they no longer pose a danger to the community
• Napthine Government building a safer Victoria

A re-elected Coalition Government will legislate to require offenders convicted of repeat killings or serious sex offences to be given an indefinite jail sentence, Premier Denis Napthine announced today.

Under the reform, offenders who have previously been jailed for murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, child homicide or a serious sexual offence, and who then go on to commit another of these offences after being released, will automatically receive an indefinite jail sentence.

“When an offender goes to jail for taking someone’s life or for a serious sexual offence, and then goes on to again commit one of these serious crimes after being released, enough is enough,” Dr Napthine said.

“In future, such offenders will be kept behind bars unless and until they can show they can be released without endangering others.

“Unless and until a court is satisfied that an offender poses no further danger to the community, the offender will stay in jail for the rest of their life. “When dangerous criminals are behind bars, they are not out on the street able to commit further crimes and hurt more innocent victims,” Dr Napthine said.

Attorney-General Robert Clark said that offenders who receive an indefinite sentence will not be eligible for parole, and will not be eligible to apply to have a court consider whether they are no longer a danger to the community until they have served a minimum sentence equal to the non-parole period they would otherwise have received.

This reform will amend existing provisions in the Sentencing Act 1991 that allow a court to impose indefinite sentences, so as to make it obligatory for the court to impose an indefinite sentence for repeat killers and serious sex offenders.

This builds on previous Coalition reforms to protect the community from violent offenders, including:

• reforming parole so that community safety is the paramount consideration in any decision to grant parole and so that offenders have to earn parole rather than taking it for granted;
• baseline sentencing to increase sentences for a range of serious offences, including baseline sentences of 25 years for murder and 10 years for child sexual abuse;
• reform to sexual offences laws to hold offenders to account and make it harder for them to escape liability based on false claims of consent;
• abolition of defensive homicide so that violent men can’t escape liability for murder;
• 10 year minimum jail terms for coward punches and gang attacks resulting in death; and
• the complete abolition of suspended sentences and home detention, so that jail means jail.