No. The minimum age is 10. Children under 10 cannot be charged with or convicted of an offence because the law does not treat you as criminally responsible [Young Offenders Act 1993 (SA) s 5].
This does not mean you can do as you like. The Department for Child Protection can take you into its care if your parents cannot control or look after you [Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 (SA) s 18(1)(d)].
For children between the ages of 10 and 18 there is a special criminal justice system. However, it is not automatic that you go to the Youth Court. What happens depends on your age, the seriousness of the offence, whether you admit guilt, and if you have been in trouble before.
One of three things can happen to you:
You might be warned by the Police and told not to do it again; this is called an informal caution. This may be an option if you have not done anything serious. No official record is kept [Young Offenders Act 1993 (SA) s 6].
If the offence is more serious and you admit you have committed the offence, the Police may give you a formal caution and may also require you to make an undertaking (promise) to:
[Young Offenders Act 1993 (SA) s 8]
If you break the undertaking or do not do as the police officer says a Family Group Conference can be held [Young Offenders Act 1993 (SA) s 7(1)(b)].
When a Police Officer notifies a Youth Justice Coordinator about an offence a Family Conference is held to make a decision about what will happen to you. Your parents or guardians, close relatives, the victim of the offence and his/her parents (if under 18), a Police Officer and yourself will be present. You are entitled to legal advice at the conference.
The Family Group Conference has a number of powers. It can:
If you do not attend the Family Conference, do not comply with the requirements of the Conference or the undertaking, the Police Officer may lay a charge before the Youth Court and the judge or magistrate will decide what to do. You do not have to tell anyone, e.g. an employer, that you have been to a Family Group Conference.
The victim is the only person who has the right to be advised of the outcome of a conference.
[Young Offenders Act 1993 (SA) ss 10, 11, 12 & 58]
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