‘Resign now’: Baby’s skull bashed, woman raped in her sleep in latest Alice Springs crime wave

Furious Alice Springs locals have unleashed on NT leaders after a baby’s skull was fractured during a terrifying home invasion.

Fed-up Alice Springs locals have unleashed on Northern Territory leaders after a newborn baby’s skull was fractured during a terrifying broad daylight home invasion.

A man has also been charged with breaking into a woman’s house and raping her as she slept, as police scramble to respond to the latest escalation in violent crime rocking the troubled outback town.

NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and Police Commissioner Michael Murphy rushed to Alice Springs on Thursday, where they were heckled by furious local businessman Darren Clark.

“Where have you been, Chief Minister?” Mr Clark yelled in video shared to his Action for Alice social media pages.

“Where have you been? We have a woman and her baby flogged with an iron bar. You told us you were going to protect this town. Our women are scared. The place is terrified. You do nothing. You promised you would. Why has it taken you so long, Lia? Why?”

NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro. Picture: X

He also took aim at Mr Murphy.

“Don’t say you’ve got more police because you haven’t got the police, Murphy,” Mr Clark said.

“You haven’t got the police and you know it. Don’t come out with that fluff today. What are you going to do, shut a couple of pubs down? Absolute disgrace, Lia.

“You’re an absolute disgrace. You promised us. You promised this community. It was your election number one mandate. What have you done? Nothing. Even your local members are quiet.

“They’re silent. Have you gagged them, too? It’s time to step up or get out, all of you. This town deserves better. Off you go, go and do your political spin, we’re all waiting for it, we know what’s coming.”

In a follow-up video outside Alice Springs police station, Mr Clark accused Ms Finocchiaro of moving her press conference inside “because she doesn’t want to face the people of Alice Springs out here”.

“It’s time you resign now, Finocchiaro, that’s enough,” he said. “Step down, Lia. Hiding away in the police station.”

The Country Liberal Party (CLP) returned to power after eight years of Labor government following a landslide election victory in August.

The CLP campaigned hard on stamping out crime, with Ms Finocchiaro vowing on election night to “get on top of our law and order and crime issues”.

Top brass meeting in Alice Springs on Thursday. Picture: Supplied

Two boys, aged 16 and 17, have been charged over the alleged attack on Wednesday that left the two-month-old girl with a fractured skull and a brain bleed.

The Australian reported on Friday that the pair had collectively been charged with almost 300 other offences and bailed 35 times — and were on bail at the time.

Emergency services were called to the home in Larapinta after reports two males had unlawfully entered the property about 2.30pm on Wednesday, confronting the woman who was at home with five children.

Police allege one youth searched the home while another threatened the woman as she held her two-month-old baby before assaulting her with a detachable metal freezer handle, striking her so hard it rebounded and hit the infant.

The two youths allegedly fled the scene with the woman’s handbag and vehicle keys but were located by police a short time later, with one of the teens placed under arrest.

A second youth allegedly fled in a vehicle but after a short pursuit was also arrested by Northern Territory police.

The woman and child, who sustained a serious head injury, were rushed to Alice Springs Hospital before being flown to Adelaide for further treatment where they remained in a stable condition.

Detective Superintendent Regional Crime Paul Lawson said police responded “en masse” to the alleged incident, and thanked the first responders who attended.

“This is an absolutely shocking incident,” he said in a social media video.

“I’m shocked. The community is shocked. First responders are shocked. Our thoughts go out to the victims of this incident, their families. I cannot even think about what they’re going through.”

A two-month-old girl suffered a fractured skull during a home invasion on Wednesday. Picture: Action for Alice

The two boys have been charged with aggravated burglary and robbery. They also face charges of unlawfully causing serious harm, aggravated assault and theft.

The children’s father, a government employee, was at work at the time.

“It’s upsetting, it’s angering, it’s frightening, it really is,” he told The Australian.

He added he didn’t have any faith in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese being able to fix the issues in Alice Springs.

“It wouldn’t be the same if this was happening to him,” he said. “What do you say that doesn’t fall on deaf ears?”

The horrific attack comes after nine days of escalating violence in the Northern Territory town which has seen crime move away from the inner city into the suburbs.

There have been reports of abduction, sexual assault, home burglaries, home invasions and stolen motor vehicles since December 3.

On Saturday night, a 22-year-old man allegedly climbed into a woman’s bedroom window and sexually assaulted her while she was sleeping.

He was charged with two counts of sexual intercourse without consent, gross indecency without consent, aggravated burglary, being armed with an offensive weapon and traffic offences.

In another incident on Thursday, three young males allegedly demanded alcohol from a 57-year-old man in his home, threatening him with weapons including a baseball bat and a tomahawk.

The youths fled the scene in a stolen Mitsubishi. A 19-year-old and a 16-year-old were later arrested, while one offender remains outstanding.

Alice Springs is facing a renewed surge in violent crime. Picture: JPL/Media Mode/news.com.au

NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said it was “totally unacceptable and people needed to feel safe in their homes”.

“We’ve seen a shift from really public space and inner-city activity to activity in the suburbs,” he said on Thursday.

“We’ve met with the team this morning and given really clear instructions about repurpose, as well as the operational response of four or five police cars, night police cars, calling and responding to calls for public assistance.”

Mr Murphy said officers would target specific locations and focus on people who should not be there.

“Our thoughts are with all the victims of crime, especially the mum and the two-month-old baby who are in Adelaide and seeking medical attention,” he said.

Ms Finocchiaro issued a statement on Thursday acknowledging the “hurt, fear and anger” in the Alice Springs community, which felt the system had “let them down for a very long time”.

“The recent tragic events highlight the dire consequences of years of policy failure,” she said.

“The high level of violent offending is not acceptable and takes a huge toll on our community and emergency responders. People have a right to be safe in their homes. The community deserves to be safe.”

As part of the territory’s response to escalating crime in Alice Springs, the chief minister said a Fugitive Taskforce would target people with outstanding warrants, high-risk repeat offenders and urban streets.

“Alice Springs will be divided into five sectors, four urban including the CBD, and one rural sector,” she said.

“This means Operation Ludlow will be divided into intensive patrols in those sectors and supported by additional police to give highly visible, high engagement policing.”

The Chief Minister is expected to hold urgent meetings over the coming days with community bodies and announce further measures to reduce crime.

“I thank our police for their brave and diligent work to ensure the offenders could not cause further harm to our community,” she said.

“I thank all of the first responders who provided urgent care to the victims.”

— with NCA NewsWire