Victims’ register – youth offenders

Who is eligible

You can be added to the register as an eligible person if you are:

• a victim of the offence
• an immediate family member of the victim (if the victim has died because of the offence)
• the victim’s parent (if the victim is a child)
• the guardian or attorney appointed for a legally incapacitated adult victim.

Other people may be eligible if it can be shown that their life or safety could be endangered because of:

• the youth offender's history of violence against them
• a connection between the person and the offence.

You cannot be registered if providing information to you may endanger somebody’s safety or the security of the youth detention centre.

What kind of information is given

Once registered, you may be kept informed of the following matters relating to the youth offender:

• if they are transferred interstate, overseas or to a corrective services facility (adult prison)
• how long their period of detention is
• when they are eligible for, or due for, discharge or release (including under a supervised release order)
• if any further cumulative periods of detention are imposed on them while they are held for the offence
• if they are granted a leave of absence from the youth detention centre
• if they are unlawfully at large (have escaped)
• if they die.

How to apply

Victims and immediate family members of deceased victims

Victims and immediate family members will be automatically added to the Victims’ Register—Youth Offenders unless they tell us they do not want to be registered.

The Queensland Police Service or the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions will contact you to ask if you would like to be registered. If you agree, they will provide your details to the Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support. If you prefer, you can fill out an application form yourself.

Read the factsheet for victims and immediate family members or the easy English factsheet for more information.

Other eligible people

Other eligible people include:

• parents of a child victim
• appointed guardians or attorneys for a legally incapacitated adult victim
• people connected to the offence (e.g. witnesses)
• people with a history of violence perpetrated against them by the youth.

These people must complete an application form and send it to us by email or post.

Read the factsheet for eligible persons who are not direct victims (or the easy English factsheet) for more information.

By email

Send a scanned copy of your completed form and a copy of your identification to victimsregister@youthjustice.qld.gov.au.

By post

Post your completed form and a copy of your identification to:

Victims’ Register – Youth Offenders
Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support
GPO Box 7096
BRISBANE  QLD  4001

Updating your details or being removed

You should let us know if your contact details change or if you wish to be removed from the register.

We will update the register.

Confidentiality

Your details will be kept on a secure system. We will ask you before we share any of your information outside of the Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support.

You will be asked to consent to us sharing your details with the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions and/or Queensland Police Service if you are applying as:

• the parent of a child victim
• the guardian or attorney of an adult victim with legal incapacity
• a person whose life or safety is endangered due to your connection with an offence or a young person’s history of violence against you.

You will be asked to identify the young person responsible and/or verify application details.

Youth offender submissions against registration

Once the youth offender has been sentenced, they have the chance to make submissions against registrations. Their submission will be considered, but it does not mean your registration will be refused when you apply.

In most cases the youth offender will not be told who has applied. However in some cases it may be necessary to tell them about other eligible people applying. The eligible person will be contacted before this occurs.

Transfer to adult prison

Youth in detention may be transferred to an adult prison when they turn 18.

When this happens, a registered person is not automatically added to the victim register for adult offenders.

If you want to be told about future events relating to the person's sentence, you have to apply under the Queensland Corrective Service's victim register.

Contact us

Phone 13 QGOV (13 74 68) (Monday–Friday, 8.30am–4.30pm).

More information

Learn more about young people and the justice system.