Aborigine child rape outrage!

[MA-Caver]

Judge condemned over Aborigine child rape case
Barbara McMahon in Sydney
Monday December 10, 2007
Guardian Unlimited
http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,2225242,00.html
A judge in Australia was facing calls to step down today after she failed to jail a group of nine males who admitted gang-raping a 10-year-old girl in an Aboriginal community, saying the young victim "probably agreed" to have sex with them.

Instead of jailing the three adults, aged 17 to 26, one of whom was a repeat sex offender, and giving custodial sentences to the six juveniles aged 14 to 16, Queensland District Court judge Sarah Bradley handed out suspended sentences and probation orders.

The lenient sentencing was greeted with outrage and disbelief across Australia, which has been wrestling with the problem of child sex abuse in indigenous communities after a report, Little Children Are Sacred, released earlier this year, described the problem as widespread and endemic.
The newly elected prime minister, Kevin Rudd, said he was "appalled and disgusted" by the details of the case while Queensland's attorney-general, Kerry Shine, said he would appeal the judge's decision. Indigenous leaders said it sent a terrible message to vulnerable girls and women living in fear in Australia's their communities.

A repeat sex offender get off with a slap on the wrist? What the hell is this? I'm glad to read that the citizens are outraged at the judges' decision. Hell, I didn't know the Klan was down under and had judges sitting on the benches down there. (I know they don't, but it sure as hell seems so with this stupid *****'s decision). :angry:

"If this was a white girl in white suburban Brisbane' there's no way the defendants would have walked out of court," said child protection campaigner Hetty Johnston.
The assault on the child happened in 2005 in Aurukun on Cape York on the northern edge of Queensland, a community which has a history of rioting and drunken violence. Some of the girl's attackers are said to be from prominent families in the area while she comes from a less privileged background.

Why am I reminded of the John Grisham novel "A Time To Kill" on this? It's too close for comfort.

Judge Bradley's handling of the case was revealed by The Australian newspaper. In passing sentence, she told the participants that she accepted the girl involved "was not forced and probably agreed to have sex with all of you but you were taking advantage of a 10-year-old girl and she needs to be protected." Facing allegations that the country's justice system was failing children, the attorney general met the director of public prosecutions today to review the case. '

This made me want to scream. She basically called this 10 year old baby girl a whore or a slut, and probably just because she's not white. :flammad:

Aborigine people down under have been getting the same if not worse treatment as the African Americans and Native Americans here in the U.S. Stories of the people being systematically hunted and driven from their lands by greedy whites echoes too strongly with what happened here.
Why in the hell are (some groups of --not all -- thank God for that!) white people still thinking they're somehow more superior than other races simply on the basis of the pigment of their skin?
This is a throw back to obtuse thinking of the 1700-1900's. I'm just befuddled to no end that this is even happening in this day and age.

How in the hell is this even happening? :cuss:

 

[Live True]

I am at apalled on SOOOO many levels!!:angry::jaw-dropping:
"she probably agreed"?!?!?! She's 10 years old facing a crowd of guys who are mostly twice her age...did she actually had a choice? She's 10 years old...how could she even know what she was "supposedly" agreeing to...The class or families of those accused should NOT be part of the decision!...Poverty does not mean she was entitled to be mistreated...:rpo:and...oh yeah....she's 10 FRIGGIN YEARS OLD!!!!!!!:angry::flammad:
Why don't we put the judge in a closed room with those men for a few hours, if they deserve so much of a break%-}

 

[BrandiJo]

How in the hell does a 10 year old consent to ANYTHING. Half the time i cant even get a yes or no answer to what my cousins want for dinner and that is a plain and simple question. She is a CHILD she cant even make medical choices or her self let alone this kind of a choice, and even if she agreed on some level she was pry scared ******** and felt she only had one choice. this "judge" needs locked in a cell with these "harmless" men for a week and see if that changes anything.

 

[Kacey]

I don't really care what this child supposedly "agreed" to - as has been said, a 10 year old girl facing a group of larger, older, teens and men, especially those of a higher social status, in a stratified culture, just does not say "no" under those circumstances - the only thing saying "no" would have done is that she would have been forced instead of "agreeing". The judge is a nutjob, and needs to be locked in a room with a few sexual predators who are older, larger, and outnumber her by at least 10, who offer her the choice of submitting "voluntarily" or being forced, so she can see just what little choice this poor child had.

 

[Darksoul]

-I certainly concur with everyone here about a 'proper' punishment for the judge. I find it amusing that we all have the same opinion on what should happen to her. I think many of us are in agreement that people need to be held responsible, perhaps even via violence. For too long, criminals have gotten away with slaps on the wrist, mainly because society blames society and everything else but the criminal for the crime. I mean, seriously, a 10 year old girl? She is not at an age to give consent for anything!!! Any psychologist could tell you that, as well as any normal minded human being. There is something to be said for letting the punishment fit the crime. Of course the fear is that, should we pursue that path of justice, it will get out of hand down the line. Something has got to give though...

A--->

 

[Tez3]

It's worse than you think, she was gang raped at 7 then sent away to foster parents who were white so she was taken away from them and sent back... so she could be ganged raped again at 10.
I imagine if she 'consented' it was the consent you give when you are terrified for your life, surrounded by many men and lads bigger than you who could quite easily snap you into little pieces but she consented so that's alright then! How can that judge sleep at night,this is a child, a babe, who has been let down twice by adults and those who should be protecting her. Yep I agree bad things should come to this judge, I can only wish better things and love for the child.

 

[TheOriginalName]

This story simply sickens me.
We Aussies pride ourselves on a fair go for everyone - how did we give this child a fair go? How did the system break down to the point that this child was placed in such a terrible position.

I think the most disturbing part of this story is the Judge. This person is supposed to uphold the law and be a becon of morality and justice. How is this moral or just?? How can any educated individual say that a child of 10 years agreed to this.

I am sicked and ashamed that this happened in my country.

 

[Steel Tiger]

I am so angry about this I honestly don't know what to say.

 

[MA-Caver]

This story simply sickens me.
We Aussies pride ourselves on a fair go for everyone - how did we give this child a fair go? How did the system break down to the point that this child was placed in such a terrible position.

I think the most disturbing part of this story is the Judge. This person is supposed to uphold the law and be a becon of morality and justice. How is this moral or just?? How can any educated individual say that a child of 10 years agreed to this.

I am sicked and ashamed that this happened in my country.

Well for an Aussie I can appreciate how you must be feeling. Often times we hear and discuss stories like these but we rarely hear about the outcome and the end of the story.
I for one would appreciate it if you can keep tabs on this particular one and let us know how it goes.

 

[tellner]

That's why they call it Age of Mother****ing Consent! And she's being 'protected' by the fact that some of them are on probation.

Don't worry boys, the abos are animals. Root away!

If it had been a bunch of Aboriginal men and a blonde girl you can imagine what the sentence would have been like.

At least the public reaction is correct:

The lenient sentencing was greeted with outrage and disbelief across Australia, which has been wrestling with the problem of child sex abuse in indigenous communities after a report, Little Children Are Sacred, released earlier this year, described the problem as widespread and endemic.

The newly elected prime minister, Kevin Rudd, said he was "appalled and disgusted" by the details of the case while Queensland's attorney-general, Kerry Shine, said he would appeal the judge's decision. Indigenous leaders said it sent a terrible message to vulnerable girls and women living in fear in Australia's their communities.

There's no treatment, but there is a cure.

 

[Steel Tiger]

Don't worry boys, the abos are animals. Root away!

If it had been a bunch of Aboriginal men and a blonde girl you can imagine what the sentence would have been like.

This sentiment is exactly the problem that Aboriginals are constantly having to deal with, especially in Queensland and West Australia.

Just to show how absolutely appalling this situation is.

The Sydney gang rapes were a series of gang rape attacks by a group of up to fourteen Lebanese Australian men led by Bilal Skaf, against white Australian girls, some as young as 14, in Sydney, Australia in 2000. The crimes - decried as ethnically motivated hate crimes by some commentators - saw blanket media coverage, the passing of new laws, and more than 240 years in jail time handed out to nine men. In court transcripts, Judge Michael Finnane mused that the rapes were events "you hear about or read about only in the context of wartime atrocities".

Same situation in a different state with a girl who is even younger and look at the result. An arrogant, self important judge who is unable to read the public repugnance of the crime essentially lets the foul little abominations go, and whats more suggests the girl is actually in some way responsible for what happened to her. You have got to be kidding. I know we have some brain dead magistrates around but I didn't think any of them were this stupid.

 

[arnisador]

If it had been a bunch of Aboriginal men and a blonde girl you can imagine what the sentence would have been like.

Exactly.

Sometimes I think it's 2007 and this kind of thing won't happen anymore as the judiciary is too enlightened. Then reality slaps me smack across the face.

 

[Empty Hands]

We Aussies pride ourselves on a fair go for everyone - how did we give this child a fair go?

Do Aussies really feel this way about themselves? The White Australia policy only ended in 1973, and the refugee camp policy will only be abolished now that Howard is out of office. Furthermore, the treatment of the Aborigines has been and continues to be pretty bad in a lot of places and ways.

 

[TheOriginalName]

Do Aussies really feel this way about themselves? The White Australia policy only ended in 1973, and the refugee camp policy will only be abolished now that Howard is out of office. Furthermore, the treatment of the Aborigines has been and continues to be pretty bad in a lot of places and ways.

I can't speak for previous generations - and there is no denying that Australia has had questionable policies in the past.

I can't say that i often see evidence of racism in everyday life. That is not to say that it doesn't exist in certain areas of the cities - but in general i don't think people really care what colour your skin is or what accent you speak with. Many of my friends from school were recent arivals but we didn't really care - they played the same sport as the rest of us boys so we all got along.

In terms of the aboriginal communities - this is a complex problem.
Naturally they need money to survive. The problem as i see it is currently there is no control over where that money goes. It often gets wasted away on drugs and alcohol. This i believe is a eductation problem.

I won't say much more - as this is a complex problem that i can not do justice here without writing a massive essay. But i will say, that in general the "fair go" attitude is alive and well.

In other news - the public prosecutor who recommended that the boys not recieve jail time has been stood down and an official inquiry has been launched into the sentencing of this case and other related sexual assult cases in the region.

 

[Steel Tiger]

Do Aussies really feel this way about themselves? The White Australia policy only ended in 1973, and the refugee camp policy will only be abolished now that Howard is out of office. Furthermore, the treatment of the Aborigines has been and continues to be pretty bad in a lot of places and ways.

I think that we really do feel this way about ourselves. The White Australia Policy, a dire blight upon our history, was pretty much defunct by 1948, even though it existed officially until 1975 when the Racial Discrimination Act came into being. The refugee camp policy? That was pretty much detested by most Australians. The government controlled both houses of parliament and just shoved the legislation through.

Please don't judge the vast majority of us by the actions of our bigoted Baby-Boomer politicians and magistrates.

The treatment of Aborigines in Australia has a long and extremely unpleasant history. When the British first arrived they treated with the locals fairly well for 18th century Englishmen. But the situation rapidly deteriorated. It was not until a 1967 referendum when the Australian people voted to have the Aborigines counted as part of the population and able to vote in federal elections. This referendum was one of those rare occasions when Australians voted yes, and in a massive margin.

1971 saw the infamous "terra nullius" court verdict in which justice Blackburn said that the Aboriginals had no concept of land title before the arrival of the British. It took twenty years to overturn this ruling with the Eddie Mabo in 1992 which recognised the indigenous connection to the land.

The White Australia Policy was put in place as a result of a fear of the Chinese. An essential element of racism in Australia was the belief by white Australia that they were actually British. Up until the 1950s almost 75% of people called Britain "home". Most of these people had nevr been there and were never going to go there. They had no real sense of being Australian. The war against Japan changed that. After WWII there was a new sense of being Australian, and it is from about 1950 that the modern Australian character really started to develop.

I think that, from a racial position, the face of Australia that the world has seen has been created by politicians and magistrates who were hangovers from an earlier mindset. That they have unfortunately indoctrinated their children and grandchildren is sad, but they are a minority. I really do think Australia is a place where we let people be who they are and who they want to be. Like Britain and the United States we have extremely unpleasant cultural baggage, but we are accepting it and rectifying the mistakes of the past.

I hope I don't sound defensive. I have accepted my country's past and know that it has some extremely shameful elements, at least one of which involved someone from my own family, but I honestly have faith that we are a good people willing to give others a fair go.

 

[MA-Caver]

I won't say much more - as this is a complex problem that i can not do justice here without writing a massive essay. But i will say, that in general the "fair go" attitude is alive and well.

In other news - the public prosecutor who recommended that the boys not recieve jail time has been stood down and an official inquiry has been launched into the sentencing of this case and other related sexual assult cases in the region.

Well given that the "fair go" is alive and well in attitude is a good thing but in practice is another question by itself right?
Granted one would imagine that the aboriginies are getting better treatment and more "rights" than their ancestors did when the first convicts and settlers arrived. I would hope that the fair go is about as good or equal to the "fair go" that we are giving African Americans and Native Americans here.

Granted it all could be totally better all around everywhere. Thing is, it seems to me to be a WHITE problem of not seeing past skin pigmentation than anything else. Oppression tends to breed dissension and resentment and thus the resultant race riots in America over the last 30-40 years. Thankfully they're less but they're still fresh enough to cause bitterness all around.

Dunno if the aborigines want what the whites have or if they just prefer to be left well enough alone or at least be given an equal chance at whatever pursuits they want to go after? Who speaks for them? And who will listen?

 

[Live True]

In other news - the public prosecutor who recommended that the boys not recieve jail time has been stood down and an official inquiry has been launched into the sentencing of this case and other related sexual assult cases in the region.

BBC News

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has now announced a review of all sentences given over the last two years in the communities in the Cape York region where the case occurred.
"I am not prepared to just write this off as an unusual one-off case," she said. "I want to satisfy myself that the people of Cape York, and the people who live in remote indigenous communities, are receiving the same level of justice as we can expect in any other community in Queensland."
​

If something this horrible happens...perhaps, at least, some good can come out of it?

 

[Senjojutsu]

If you throw out the whole Aborigine and Australian theme of this horrible story, I simply thought I was reading another classic example of jurisprudence coming from a Commonwealth of Massachusetts judge.

Welcome to my world.
:angry:

 

[Steel Tiger]

I just thought I would give you all an update on this terrible situation.

Yesterday a former worker from Queensland Social Services reported to the media that the handling of cases in remote communities like Arakun has been a disaster for more than a decade at least. As we know, the young girl at the centre of all this was sexually abused at seven, removed to foster care, and then returned to very same community even though members of her family were constantly saying she was in danger of further abuse.

This man's statements have prompted the Queensland government to begin an investigation into what exactly social services are doing with regard to remote communities.

This might get to the point where the federal ministers for social services and Aboriginal affairs get involved and start additional investigations.

One thing is for sure. A big, bright spotlight has been firmly pointed at social services across the country because of this.

 

[MA-Caver]

I just thought I would give you all an update on this terrible situation.

Yesterday a former worker from Queensland Social Services reported to the media that the handling of cases in remote communities like Arakun has been a disaster for more than a decade at least. As we know, the young girl at the centre of all this was sexually abused at seven, removed to foster care, and then returned to very same community even though members of her family were constantly saying she was in danger of further abuse.

This man's statements have prompted the Queensland government to begin an investigation into what exactly social services are doing with regard to remote communities.

This might get to the point where the federal ministers for social services and Aboriginal affairs get involved and start additional investigations.

One thing is for sure. A big, bright spotlight has been firmly pointed at social services across the country because of this.

Well, it's a start.
Just hope the 9 will get theirs and the girl the help she needs. Plus stiffer laws that allow aborigine people the same equal rights afforded to the whites and other races, under Australian Law. After all... they were there first!