This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7137815.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Appeal over Aborigine rape ruling | Appeal over Aborigine rape ruling |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Senior Australian lawyers are appealing against a judge's decision to allow nine Aborigine males to walk free from court after admitting rape. | Senior Australian lawyers are appealing against a judge's decision to allow nine Aborigine males to walk free from court after admitting rape. |
| Queensland Attorney General Kerry Shine labelled the ruling unacceptable and "manifestly inadequate". | Queensland Attorney General Kerry Shine labelled the ruling unacceptable and "manifestly inadequate". |
| The nine males were given non-custodial sentences for raping a 10-year-old girl in an Aboriginal settlement in 2006. | |
| The judge provoked widespread anger by commenting that the girl had "probably agreed to have sex" with the gang. | The judge provoked widespread anger by commenting that the girl had "probably agreed to have sex" with the gang. |
| The attorney general said he did not see the relevance of Judge Sarah Bradley's comments, made during sentencing in Cairns in October. | |
| "Any child under the age of 12 cannot legally give consent to sexual intercourse, so the relevance of the judge's remark mystifies me," he said. | "Any child under the age of 12 cannot legally give consent to sexual intercourse, so the relevance of the judge's remark mystifies me," he said. |
| System failure | |
| Six juveniles were placed on probation after pleading guilty to the rape of the girl, in the settlement of Aurukun in northern Queensland. | Six juveniles were placed on probation after pleading guilty to the rape of the girl, in the settlement of Aurukun in northern Queensland. |
| The system clearly failed this little girl Queensland state PremierAnna Bligh | |
| Three older men received suspended sentences, but none was sent to prison. | Three older men received suspended sentences, but none was sent to prison. |
| Australia's newly-elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he was horrified by the case and appalled at the judgement. | Australia's newly-elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he was horrified by the case and appalled at the judgement. |
| State officials have announced a review of all sex abuse verdicts in Aboriginal Queensland over the past two years. | State officials have announced a review of all sex abuse verdicts in Aboriginal Queensland over the past two years. |
| Meanwhile, Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh confirmed reports that the girl was first sexually assaulted at Aurukun in 2002 by several juveniles. They were not charged. | |
| Ms Bligh said the girl was placed into foster care after the incident but was returned to the settlement in April 2006, where she was gang-raped shortly after. | |
| "The system clearly failed this little girl," said Ms Bligh. A welfare officer who took the decision to send the child back to Aurukun has been sacked and two others suspended. |