Eleven people have been charged over the alleged torture and serious assault of a 17-year-old boy who was found injured in bushland near Townsville, in a case police say involved an unusually severe level of violence.
The teenager was discovered by a member of the public off Cape Pallarenda Road at about 6:35am on July 18. Police allege he had been assaulted at a property in Heatley, restrained with zip ties and wrapped tightly in plastic before being transported to the bushland and abandoned.
He was taken to Townsville University Hospital in a stable condition. Police said the boy suffered multiple fractures and required several operations, but was recovering.
Police allege attack was planned
Detectives from Townsville’s Child Protection and Investigation Unit have been investigating the incident under Operation Yankee Shadowmark. Police described the alleged attack as targeted rather than random and said there was no indication of a broader threat to the community.
Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles said the teenager had allegedly been unable to move while wrapped in plastic and was believed to have been left in the area for more than five hours before he was found.
“It’s concerning, from our perspective, the level of violence that was used and the way in which this young person was left in Pallarenda,” Senior Sergeant Miles said, according to the ABC.
Police allege a vehicle connected to the incident was later driven erratically along The Strand before crashing. Investigators said items found inside the vehicle helped advance the inquiry, although they have not publicly detailed that evidence.
Eleven accused face multiple charges
The first arrest came on July 24, when police charged a 13-year-old Deeragun boy with four offences: deprivation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm while armed or in company, grievous bodily harm and torture. He appeared in Townsville Children’s Court that day.
A 35-year-old Kirwan woman was arrested on July 28 and charged with five offences, including torture, grievous bodily harm, deprivation of liberty and assault occasioning bodily harm while armed or in company. She was also charged with driving while her licence was suspended under Queensland’s State Penalties Enforcement Registry system. Police said she was remanded in custody and is due to return to Townsville Magistrates Court on September 28.
A 14-year-old Kirwan girl was charged with torture, grievous bodily harm, deprivation of liberty and assault occasioning bodily harm while armed or in company. Her matter is being managed under the Youth Justice Act.
Police announced on Friday afternoon that eight more people had been charged: men aged 30 and 34, women aged 32, 36 and 40, and three 14-year-olds. Each faces multiple charges, including torture. The allegations against every accused person remain to be tested in court.
Investigation remains active
The number and ages of those charged have made the case one of the most significant criminal investigations reported in north Queensland in recent days. Senior Sergeant Miles said torture was a serious allegation that police did not encounter frequently.
The involvement of several children also means parts of the legal process will be subject to youth justice protections. The identities of the teenage accused have not been published, and police have not released the alleged victim’s name.
Investigators are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault, including the roles each accused person is said to have played. Authorities have not publicly identified a precise motive beyond saying there had been animosity towards the teenager.
Queensland Police have asked anyone with information about the incident to contact Policelink or provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers. The police reference number is QP2601390910.
