A man from Western Australia is facing charges of aggravated assault after allegedly using cable ties to restrain three young children, sparking outrage and condemnation from top state officials.
The incident occurred in Broome, approximately 2,000 kilometers north of Perth, where the 45-year-old man reported finding a six-year-old girl and two boys aged seven and eight swimming on a vacant property. Police responded to the call and discovered two of the children physically restrained with cable ties, while the oldest boy had fled the scene.
Disturbing footage circulated online shows the restrained children, believed to be Indigenous, with bystanders urging the man to release them. Paramedics assessed the children at the scene before reuniting them with their families.
Authorities criticized the use of force to restrain the children, emphasizing that it was disproportionate given their age and vulnerability. Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, the state’s children’s commissioner, expressed deep concern over the incident, highlighting the children’s fear and the disparity in size between them and the adult involved.
The man has been granted bail and is scheduled to appear before the Broome Magistrates Court on 25 March. The case has reignited discussions about the minimum age of criminal responsibility, particularly concerning Indigenous youth who face disproportionately high rates of detention compared to non-Indigenous children.
-BBC-
