Police Deputy Commissioner Murray Smalpage defends officers’ four-day wait to inform public of child’s alleged rape

NT Police Deputy Commissioner Murray Smalpage has become the latest top brass to defend police against criticism for taking four days to inform the public of a child’s alleged rape in Karama last week

NT Police Deputy Commissioner Murray Smalpage. Picture: Che Chorley

• Chief Minister ‘would have appreciated’ being told earlier about alleged child sexual assault in Karama
• Police take four days to inform public of child’s alleged rape
• Police defend decision to tell the public about the incident when they did

NT Police Deputy Commissioner Murray Smalpage has become the latest top brass to defend police against criticism for taking four days to inform the public of a child’s alleged rape in Karama last week.

Mr Smalpage said the information police released about alleged sexual offences was restricted by certain “legislative barriers”.

He also said officers on the case had been aware of the need to maintain “operational sensitivity” around the case so they could conduct a “comprehensive and thorough investigation”.

It comes after police media only informed the public on Monday that a three-year-old boy had allegedly been raped by a stranger in the front yard of his Karama home on Thursday evening. Police arrested the alleged offender, a 21-year-old man, about 15 minutes after the incident occurred.

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But Mr Smalpage said he “accepted the fact” that police could have briefed Chief Minister Michael Gunner earlier.

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