Boy convicted of attacking girl and woman on separate occasions
A 17-year-old boy was sentenced to a partially suspended six-and-a-half-year prison term for sexually assaulting a teenage girl and a 60-year-old woman.
The boy was 15 when he lured a 17-year-old girl away from friends with a false promise of a shortcut to a bottle shop, then sexually assaulted her in a park for about half an hour. The girl repeatedly said no and he choked her.
While on bail for that attack, he assaulted a 60-year-old woman walking on a bushwalk, grabbing her around the neck, punching her, and sexually assaulting her before running off with her phone. Justice Louise Taylor said both attacks were harrowing examples of unpredictable violence that leaves women and girls looking over their shoulders.
The boy had a diagnosed neurological disorder affecting impulse control, but the judge said he clearly knew the victims were not consenting. He will serve two years in custody followed by a suspended period until 2031.
Why it mattersThe case highlights the severity of random sexual violence and raises questions about early intervention for young people showing signs of dangerous behaviour.
AustraliaCanberra residents, especially women and those using parks and walking trails, are confronted with the reality of predatory violence in their community.
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