The Northern Territory government has lowered the age of criminal responsibility to ten years of age and has made the decision to permanently move all juvenile offenders at Alice Springs to Darwin.

This decision will take children away from country and away from their families.

This will have a devastating effect on these young people and their families. The distance and cost to travel from Alice Springs to Darwin will stop families from being able to visit their children.

My church has just started, in the last few months, visiting these children weekly and offering support to families and children when they are released. Many other organizations and educators have also been working hard to support these children.

Sadly the majority of juvenile offenders are likely to be from First Nations families and we are at risk of repeating the history of the Stolen Generation.

We are calling on the Northern Territory government to be reverse this decision before children are removed to Darwin in December.