Mounted police patrolling Karama a day after police released details of an alleged rape of 3YO

THE NT’s mounted police unit started patrolling the Karama area on Tuesday morning a day after details of an alleged rape of a three-year-old boy was released by police

• Police defend decision to tell the public about the incident when they did
• ‘It’s every parent’s worst nightmare for this to happen in your own backyard’: Karama mum slams cop response

THE NT’s mounted police unit started patrolling the Karama area on Tuesday morning a day after details of an alleged rape of a three-year-old boy was released by police.

The horses and police arrived at the Karama Shopping Plaza at 11.09am and were patrolling the area, stopping to speak with people in the car park and across the road at the nearby park.

A police car has also arrived to provide support.

Karama residents were left stunned after learning of the alleged rape of the three-year-old boy in a suburban front yard.

The suburb has been in the spotlight as crime and anti-social behaviour appear to spiral out of control.

There was a visible police presence in the suburb of Karama after an alleged rape of a child. Mounted police patrol the suburb, parks and shopping centre. Photograph: Che Chorley

The Karama Shopping Plaza, which has historically been a hotbed for crime and anti-social behaviour, was this morning busy with residents doing errands.

No marked police cars have been sighted in Karama this morning.

Steven Watts has lived in the northern suburb for the last 12 months and said news of the latest alleged incident was shocking.

“I suppose there’s times when you hear about crimes like the one on the front page, I had to read the headline twice, wow. It’s an outrage really to be honest,” Mr Watts said.

He queried why it took police four days to notify the public of the alleged incident.

“Usually that comes out right at the start, that sort of thing, not four days later, it’s not good form,” Mr Watts said.

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Another resident who did not want to be named has lived in the area her whole life.

As she waited at the bus stop out the front of the Karama Shopping Plaza with a handful of other people she said she felt unsafe in the suburb at night.

“There’s so many kids running amok and just, it’s scary, like I don’t come out here at night-time, anywhere close to dark because it’s just so terrifying,” she said.

She said growing up in the suburb she was never allowed out unsupervised due to the area being unsafe.

“I definitely want to move. I don’t want to be living here but I don’t have a choice, it’s all we can afford,” she said.

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