Tewantin torture, assault: Online terror as entertainment a disturbing trend
Torture and grievous bodily harm are increasingly being used to attract an audience on social media, an expert has said.
Police & Courts
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Queensland’s new youth crime laws, which commenced on Wednesday, will have “no impact” on the sickening alleged attack on a 13-year-old girl on the Sunshine Coast, police have revealed.
An expert has since labelled the incident an example of “online terror” with torture and grievous bodily harm “increasingly used as a form of entertainment”.
The state government’s new youth crime laws, includes a circumstance of aggravation with a maximum penalty of 12 years where the offender has published material advertising their involvement in, or of, the offending on social media.
Police Minister Mark Ryan previously told The Courier-Mail this is aimed at: “This is aimed at sending a clear message to all offenders that the re-traumatising and glorification of crimes through these social media posts will not be tolerated”.
Police will allege that on March 11 the 13-year-old girl was invited to a “party” at a home at Tewantin where she was subsequently prevented from leaving and filmed while being assaulted, taunted and cut with a knife over the period of several hours.
Police will allege the victim can be seen in the video pleading that she would “do anything” before her head was repeatedly stomped.
It will also be alleged the girls then posted on social media on Wednesday, “Going viral thanks guys love ya,” and “Thanks for the fame.”
Police Minister Mark Ryan said: “What is alleged to have happened defies belief.
“I would like to extend my sincere sympathies to the young girl who was treated so shockingly and appallingly by her attackers.
“I have no doubt this was a traumatic experience for the young victim and she is deserving of every support as she recovers from her ordeal.
“Police advise that they work closely with social media platforms to remove inappropriate material, and police have confirmed that they are working with social media platforms in relation to this particular matter.”
Meanwhile, University of Queensland School of Social Science researcher Renee Zahnow said despite the best efforts of police, videos posted to social media often had the largest audience within the first 24 hours of being posted.
Without commenting on the current case, Dr Zahnow said offences including torture and grievous bodily harm were being increasingly used as a form of entertainment online, and she likened the infamy to that of a serial killer.
She said the social media accounts of the girls aged 12 to 14 should be limited.
“If these young people have been charged, their access to social media should be restricted,” she said.
“This is online terror … essentially they are terrorising this girl and continuing to do so through their access to social media … what this really signals is missed opportunities,” she said.
“This girl has to live with that video being online forever … the victim will never be able to move on from their assault because everyone knows about it and they walk around feeling like ‘who has seen it?’… the trauma is relentless.”
“This perpetuation of the ‘this is funny, this is entertainment’ … that idea is being distributed to other people.”
A Queensland Police spokesman said “investigators are continuing to gather evidence and consider any additional charges” but that the new legislation has “no impact on this matter”.
“The Queensland Police Service (QPS) actively monitors social media platforms for criminal behaviour and investigates matters as necessary.
“As part of a proactive and disruptive strategy, the QPS works closely with social media platforms such as Meta and TikTok and the eSafety Commissioner to remove content depicting criminal behaviour.
“There have been numerous cases where social media platforms have removed content or accounts at our request where users have promoted, incited, or instructed in matters of crime or violence.”
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll confirmed last week that the police Digital Intelligence Collection and Evaluation team would be expanded from five social media experts to 30 “very soon”.
But Dr Zahnow said police did not have the capacity to “automatically get something off social media”.
Asked about increased penalties for criminals who have boasted about these crimes on social media, Dr Zahnow said: “Young people don’t think through the penalties.
“A 40-year-old burglar or 40-year-old car thieves aren’t putting up a video on social media because they are thinking through the risks of getting caught.
“But (young people) are not interpreting this as a criminal event that they are going to be charged with.”
On March 13, investigations led police to charge three girls, aged 12, 13, and 14 years with a number of serious offences including assault occasioning bodily harm, deprivation of liberty, armed robbery while in company used personal violence and common assault.
Investigations are continuing.
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