54 reasons State Director for Queensland, Rebecca Ketton, said:
“The Queensland police union’s push to allow officers to collect a child’s DNA without a court order is deeply concerning. Removing judicial oversight risks normalising the treatment of children as suspects first and children second.
“Any move that erodes child protections, particularly for a practice as invasive as DNA collection, should be subject to the highest level of scrutiny, not fast-tracked at the request of a police union.
“Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Australia is a signatory, children have the right to protection from arbitrary interference with their privacy, and the right to be treated in the justice system in a way that reflects their age.
“The evidence is clear that children who engage in offending behaviour need rehabilitation and support to address the underlying drivers of harm. Policies that stigmatise children do not make the community any safer in the long-term.
“We urge the Queensland Government to ensure any changes to youth justice laws are evidence-based, proportionate, and uphold children’s rights rather than erode them.”