Broome man charged with assault after Aboriginal children tied up in driveway

A relative who took a heartbreaking photo of three young kids held together with cable tie has broken her silence, as a tradie is charged with assault.

An Aboriginal woman who took a heartbreaking photo of her three young relatives restrained with zip-ties claims the tradie who allegedly tied the kids up “pushed” her away when she tried to rescue them.

Relative Asharahni Lilwayno live-streamed on Facebook the moment she confronted the tradie, 45, after discovering the children tied up outside a home near Cable Beach in Broome, Western Australia, on Tuesday afternoon.

“I went live on Facebook and recorded the man, and we were telling the man to cut the cable ties off their wrist and just wait for the police... but he just didn’t want them to let go,” Ms Lilwayno told the West Australian.

She said she took a photo of the three bound children before one freed himself and she was removed from the property.

“When we pulled up there, and when that man was pushing me out of the gate... the little (eight-year-old) boy snapped the cable ties with his hands and then he just jumped over the fence and ran down the road.”

“It was just upsetting, we were so angry with him just shouting at him, telling him to let them go but he just didn’t want to listen to us.”

“When we tried to walk in there to get them he pushed me and my mum out of the yard.”

“He just kept saying, ‘I’m waiting for the police... I’m waiting for the police’.”

Three children were allegedly restrained with cable-ties by a 45-year-old man after swimming in a pool without the owner’s permission. Picture: Instagram

Local Leandra McKenzie said the tradie had arrived at the property for a job and allegedly found three kids in his client’s pool.

“They were frightened, they were crying, shaking and singing out for their mum,” McKenzie told 9News.

Officers were initially called to the home over reports of trespassing but ended up charging the tradesman with three counts of aggravated assault.

Paramedics conducted a health check on the children, who have since been reunited with their family.

In the live video streamed to Facebook one woman can be heard begging with the tradie to release the children.

“What if someone tied your kids up like that?” she can be heard screaming.

The incident was captured on live video streamed to Facebook. Picture: Instagram

Police labelled the incident “confronting” and confirmed an investigation was underway.

“The man, from Broome, was taken into custody, interviewed over the matter and charged,” Western Australia Police said.

“It is alleged the force used to restrain the children was not proportionate in the circumstances.”

The accused, a Kimberley tradie, was granted bail and is expected to appear in court at a later date.

Police have urged the community to co-operate with the ongoing investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

The tradie was charged with three counts of aggravated assault. Picture: Instagram

The video continues to do the rounds on social media, sparking community furore.

Reacting to the incident, Kimberley MP Divina D’Anna called for calm and restraint pending the outcome of the police inquiry.

She described the footage to ABC Kimberly as “disturbing and confronting”, but emphasised the importance of allowing law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation.

The incident comes amid heightened community concerns over youth crime in the Kimberley region.

While residents have reported instances of “out of control” youth crime in Broome, WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch late last year downplayed suggestions of a crisis, noting that the disruptive behaviour is attributed to a small number of individuals.

Originally published as Broome man charged with assault after Aboriginal children tied up in driveway