Alleged horror sex attack on toddler: How evil engulfed a Northern Territory town under siege

AS A 24-year-old man waited to be flown out of Tennant Creek after being accused of raping a two-year-old relative, acting Chief Minister Nicole Manison and Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw flew in to try to calm an angry town. PAUL TOOHEY reports

A two-year old girl allegedly suffered a suspected severe sexual assault

AS A 24-year-old man waited to be flown out of Tennant Creek after being accused of raping a two-year-old relative, acting Chief Minister Nicole Manison and Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw flew in to try to calm an angry town.

They are angry at the government for its perceived failings to respond to child-protection orders, the police over for being unresponsive, but also at themselves for the violent and alcohol-drenched environment which has seen them failing to care for their children.

The alleged attacker appeared in court on Tuesday by video-link and did not apply for bail. Charged with unlawful sexual intercourse aggravated by the child’s age, he showed signs of having been beaten.

His relationship to the child is very close and it appears he has met some payback.

At a town meeting at Peko Park, dozens of people got up to speak delivering harsh assessments of their own shortcomings in the wake of a recent killing, a number of suicides and the child’s alleged rape.

Members of the community rally at Peko Park in Tennant Creek to discuss recent issues in the township on Wednesday. Picture: Michael Franchi

The two-year-old girl was earlier Wednesday released out of hospital in Adelaide into the care of her mother, under the watch of South Australian child support workers who specialise in Aboriginal family matters.

This caused some anger among relatives, including from the child’s grandfather, who yelled into the microphone that he’d seen cartons of grog being carried into the address where the child was allegedly raped.

However, Territory Families deputy chief executive Jeanette Kerr said she believed it was the appropriate action. She said Territory Families had received 21 calls between August 15 and December 17 about problems at the child’s address.

Territory Families investigated nine of those notifications and six were substantiated. It’s unclear how many — if any — related to the baby girl.

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Ms Manison earlier told media the girl was the subject of multiple substantiated notifications. The child’s father is now serving time in Alice Springs over a DV-related incident and was not at home when the child was allegedly raped.

Ms Kerr said the mother had alerted police and had taken the child to the local hospital.

One man who identifies as the child’s grandfather said the community had been torn apart by what happened.

“There had been a number of times the family was frightened of the children staying at the house,” he said. “There was alcohol, drugs, parties and men that would go there. Us as a family, knowing these things, we should have done something.”

One local, Gary Bullus, a manager at the BP, tore into the crowd as they waited for the police and politicians.

“Have a good hard look at yourselves,” he said. “Why are children running around at two in the morning and they’re five years old? Where are the parents? Stop blaming the government.”

The alleged assault took place on Friday evening, but word didn’t trickle up to ministers until Tuesday.

Before she flew to Tennant Creek, an emotional Ms Manison said the Government accepted responsibility for the alleged incident.

“I take that responsibility on board and we have failed that child and it’s not good enough,” she said.

Mr Kershaw gave few details on the case, saying it was before the courts. But he said: “This town has a problem with sexual assault on children.”

Mr Kershaw said the alleged assault wasn’t an isolated incident.

About 150 Territory kids under 16 were sexually assaulted every year, he said. Police were unable to provide exact figures on Wednesday.

Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne also wasn’t told about the alleged assault through formal channels but found out after hearing whispers of a serious incident.

She said the NT’s threshold for harm — the point at which a child is removed from a home — was too high.

“The concern I have in this case and other cases, often when there is a notification made about alleged harm, it is looked at in isolation. Previous reports aren’t always considered when making a decision about taking an order out in relation to that child,” she said.

Ms Gwynne will conduct an investigation into the girl’s care by Territory Families, which will also conduct an internal review of the circumstances.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner described hearing of the incident as a “gut punch”.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion said he was appalled by the allegations but stressed incidents such as this were “not unique to or characteristics of being indigenous”.