Queensland Premier Pledges Tougher Youth Justice Laws After Coles Worker Stabbing

A 13-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder following the stabbing of a 63-year-old woman in Ipswich, prompting calls for further legal reforms.

• A 13-year-old boy allegedly stabbed a 63-year-old Coles supermarket worker in the back at Yamanto Central shopping centre in Ipswich, Queensland, on Monday evening.
• The injured woman remains in critical condition at Princess Alexandra Hospital after receiving first aid from responding officers at the scene.
• Bystanders detained the boy until police arrived, and he has been charged with attempted murder and is set to appear in Ipswich Children's Court on Tuesday.
• Queensland Premier David Crisafulli announced plans for additional changes to the state's Youth Justice Act, following criticism that recent 'adult time' laws have not included attempted murder as a qualifying offense.
• Experts have raised concerns about the effectiveness of Queensland's hardline youth crime laws, which impose adult penalties on children as young as 10, questioning their ability to deter crime.

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