Brett Callaghan, Thornleigh Skate Park: Girl he is accused of abducting and raping remains tramuatised
A man who allegedly sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl after he abducted her from an upper north shore skate park will remain in custody after he was refused bail. He also faces seven more charges.
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A 12-year-old girl allegedly raped after being abducted from Thornleigh Skate Park has been so traumatised her parents have restricted access to television, a court has heard.
Dural dad Brett Callaghan, 37, has been charged with a total of 10 offences after seven were laid against him yesterday.
The parents of the girl reported her missing at 5.30pm on Tuesday, April 28, after she didn’t return from the skate park.
Police allege Callaghan was high on drugs when he attacked the girl at his Dural home, where he also allegedly gave her drugs.
At Parramatta Local Court on Thursday, the police prosecution told magistrate Tim Keady the matter attracted high media interest and further publication would cause the alleged victim undue psychological distress.
She said the suppression application was necessary, “in the interest of the complainant and in the interest of the community”.
“The current state of the complainant’s psychological mindset, it is in the interest of justice today for a suppression order,’’ she said.
Child Sex Abuse Squad detective sergeant Lauren Seretis told the court the alleged victim, with whom she was in regular contact, remained traumatised.
“At the time of the offence she was visibly upset and … her mum also said she’s been upset since that time.
“Apart from the serious nature of the offences and the impact it has on the child, the media interest in this case brings trauma to the child every time it’s in the news so the family are trying to restrict media access, but in this day and age, it’s very difficult to do that.
“The mother is restricting access to the television to the victim but that doesn’t stop other people, the complainant’s friends, mentioning this to her through social media. In terms of the possible details … this causes serious embarrassment and further harm to the victim.”
Callaghan’s solicitor Ian McGuiness supported the prosecutor’s application and said all parties should be engaged in a “clear state of mind”.
After brief adjournments, Magistrate Keady said details may be published when the matter proceeded to trial in the district court but granted the suppression order so specific details of the offence could not be published, including outside of NSW.
He told the court specific terms and words that should be eliminated from court papers.
He acknowledged the “community has a very strong interest in the structure of justice’’. “It’s no small feat, therefore, to ask the court to suppress details of a matter which is of interest to the public,’’ he said.
However, the court heard a child of her age would be more vulnerable and prone to distress than an adult.
“Because of her age, this complainant is vulnerable and is likely to be distressed and potentially further psychologically harmed if the details of the offence against her are published,” magistrate Keady said.
Callaghan did not appear via video link and the matter will return to court on June 25.
FRESH CHARGES
Seven fresh charges have been laid against Callaghan.
State Crime Command’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad detectives have laid seven additional charges against Callaghan, bringing the total to 10.
The charges include two counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child aged between 10 and 14 years, sexually touching a person without consent, aggravated intentional sexual act with child aged between 10 and 16 years, grooming a child under 14 years for unlawful sexual activity, supplying a prohibited drug (small quantity to child under 16 years by adult) and driving a motor vehicle during disqualification period.