BOYS IN RAPE CASE

Children, one under 10, allegedly involved in sex assault of kid, 5

A REMOTE Far Northern community is reeling after the alleged gang rape of a boy aged just five.

Another child under 10 is alleged to have been involved in the offending.

The alleged sex attack on a beach near Napranum on Cape York on July 1 has shocked the community, police, welfare and child safety groups. Police have confirmed three boys aged between 10 and 13 would be dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act.

However it is understood at least one child younger than 10 – the minimum age of criminal responsibility in Queensland – was also allegedly involved in the attack.

It is believed police have been working closely with the families involved to keep the community together in what Commissioner Katarina Carroll described as a tragedy.

The incident has shocked families of both the alleged offenders and the victim. The alleged offenders were said to have been “good kids” with no history of criminal offending.

CHILD-SAFETY advocates have labelled allegations of at least three boys gang raping another boy in Cape York as “soul destroying” and “heartbreaking”.

They have vowed to increase their efforts in finding stronger ways to deal with such behaviour.

Police have charged three boys aged between 10 and 13 who will be dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act, after the alleged rape on a remote beach at Napranum.

The five-year-old was flown to Cairns for treatment.

Another child, less than 10 years old, the minimum age of criminal responsibility in Queensland, is also alleged to have been involved in the offending.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said the attack allegedly happened just after 7pm on July 1.

The alleged offenders were said to have been “good kids” with no criminal history.

It is understood police will attempt to use the restorative justice program rather than laying criminal charges.

Hetty Johnston, founder and executive director of child-protection organisation Bravehearts, said the uncomfortable truth was that unless issues that led to child sexual assaults were addressed, the issue would continue to be learned behaviour.

“We need to get serious about listening to children and responding to their disclosures and not ignoring them,” Ms Johnston said.

“We need to also get into serious, early and meaningful intervention – these are things we’re missing.”

Ms Johnston said that while relevant stakeholders were “all doing their very best with what they have, the system needs to change”.

“We need to introduce a child and family advocacy model to Australia in the same way that’s been introduced to more than 900 places in the US and most of the world now,” she said.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the alleged attack was a tragedy.

“Sadly, yes, we did investigate that,” Commissioner Carroll said. “As you would see, it appears to be a group of teenagers (allegedly responsible). It’s a tragedy, it’s been dealt with. We’re working with the community and it shouldn’t happen.

“We’re working with the victim, the families and obviously the (alleged) offending children as well.”

In 2016, the Smallbone report – a study about sexual abuse in two Far Northern indigenous communities – was released that found sexual offences in Aurukun were reported at a rate 6.6 times higher than the norm in the state between 2001 and 2012.

A steering committee led by retired Supreme Court judge Stanley Jones and including Cairns Mayor Bob Manning made numerous recommendations. It led to the government in mid-2018 dedicating $12 million across Queensland, including $1.2 million for West Cairns and Aurukun.