Cherbourg woman charged with child sex offences has case mentioned in court

One of three South Burnett women facing serious charges after allegedly grooming and indecently dealing with a 14-year-old child has returned to court. Here’s where the case stands:

One of three women charged with the sexual abuse of a teenage boy has returned to court, with ongoing delays continuing to plague the unusual case.

The woman, aged 21, had her matter mentioned in Murgon Magistrates Court this week and is charged with one count each of carnal knowledge, using a carriage service to procure persons under 16 and indecent treatment of a child.

Police will allege that between March and May last year, the three women repeatedly engaged with the 14-year-old boy via phone before sexually abusing him in person.

The two women, who cannot yet be named for legal reasons, were charged in August at the end of the Murgon Child Protection Investigation Unit’s Operation Puma.

Despite six months passing since charges were laid, the 21-year-old woman only received a grant of Legal Aid to secure a lawyer on Monday.

Lawyer Mark Werner requested an adjournment to March 15, to allow him time to review the brief of evidence.

Police said that due to the sensitive nature of some of the evidence, the brief of evidence could only be provided to the woman’s lawyer, delaying the process.

Mr Werner indicated it was likely the case would move to a registry committal.

One co-accused, a 32-year-old woman, will return to court on February 22.

The third co-accused faced a committal hearing in November last year on three charges each of carnal knowledge of a child and using a carriage service to procure a child under 16, and one of indecent treatment of a child under 16.

The 28-year-old woman was committed to trial in a 2022 sittings of the Kingaroy District Court.