The public isn’t going to learn much from official channels about the bashing – alleged – with a blunt weapon of a two months old infant, inflicting serious head injuries.
Because the accused are under 18 we will not learn their names.
In March 2020 the Labor government introduced legislation following 23 recommendations of the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children meaning “that Youth Court proceedings will now be closed to the public,” according to the Local Court website.
“A genuine representative of the news media” is permitted to be present during the proceedings but their reporting is massively restricted: They cannot name the venue of the Court in which the proceeding is heard; the identity of any witness; the names of any relative of the accused person or any other person having the care of the person.
It would be an offence, in the case of an Aboriginal person, to identify a member of the person’s community, the name or address of any place of residence of the person, the name or address of any place of education, training or employment attended by the person, or the locality in which the place is situated.
The known facts in this case are limited to the media release by the police on December 11 which included that at around 2.30pm, the accused unlawfully entered a residence on Bokhara Street, with one adult female and four children inside.
“The female victim was holding her two-month-old infant when one of the offenders threatened and assaulted her with a blunt weapon, while the second offender searched the premises.
“The youths allegedly stole the victim’s handbag and vehicle keys before fleeing the scene on foot.
“A short time later, the youths were located on Lyndavale Drive, where one of the offenders was arrested and the other fled in a vehicle.
“After a short vehicle pursuit, the second offender was apprehended.
“The infant sustained a serious head injury and is being flown to Adelaide for further treatment.”
The police later reported that the baby is in a stable condition.
From the police reports we know the accused are male and aged 16 and 17. They are charged with aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, unlawfully cause serious harm, aggravated assault and theft.
Meanwhile Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said in a media release this afternoon her government has identified “several critical areas that require Federal Government attention”:
Centrelink payments to be made on current takeaway alcohol-free days only; reintroduce compulsory work or training programs with fortnightly reporting obligations for Centrelink recipients; conduct a performance audit of federally funded programs; ensure royalty distributions are made in communities, not in Alice Springs; extend CASA exemption for Alice Springs Police Drone Pilots to improve drone capability; implement 100 per cent income management for parents of youth offenders; accept the Northern Territory Government’s referral to the Federal Government for parents who neglect their children, enabling additional income management.
This article appeared on Alice Springs News on 13 December 2024.