Cairns City Library vandalism: Police charge teens over alleged book burning attack
The Cairns City Library has come under siege again – this time by teens who allegedly launched a bizarre book-burning attack in broad daylight.
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THE Cairns City Library has come under siege again – this time by teens who allegedly launched a bizarre book-burning attack in broad daylight.
Police have arrested a 14-year-old boy and a 13-year-old after they allegedly set fire to books in a library chute about 4pm on Sunday.
CCTV camera captured the moment two people approached the Abbott St library and placed a lit item in the return chute, causing books inside to catch alight.
A City Safe security officer saw the fire and immediately contacted emergency services.
“A number of books were destroyed, however the fire was contained to the chute and no further damage was caused to the library,” police said in a statement.
Police identified the suspects following a review of the CCTV footage.
They were arrested a short time later by City Beat officers in the CBD.
Both youths were charged with endangering property by fire and are scheduled to appear in the Cairns Children’s Court this month.
The incident comes just weeks after the library was hit by vandals who drew lewd images and ugly tags all over its historic facade.
The vandalism was expected to cost ratepayers $2500 to fix, with Mayor Bob Manning saying it was a blight on the city.
“It just shouldn’t happen, the city and the people deserve much better,” he said at the time.
“On that building I don’t think that’s ever been done like this before. That’s the first.
“CCTV has picked up some movement around the building or around the street so we have given that over to the police and they will check that out.
“Hopefully they are able to grab those people.”
Police charged two teenage boys with wilful damage over the March 3 vandalism attack.
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Originally published as Cairns City Library vandalism: Police charge teens over alleged book burning attack
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