The lead prosecutor in a child rape case has been suspended pending an investigation into his decision to not seek jail sentences for nine young men who confessed to gang-raping a ten year old Aboriginal girl. The judge in the case agreed to let the men walk free claiming that the sex was consensual, the BBC reports.
Stephen Carter, the lead prosecutor, described the 2006 gang rape as a “childish experiment,” and claimed that the men had not forced themselves upon the victim, or threatened her, the Associated Press reports.
Queensland State Premier Anna Bligh confirmed to the Associated Press that the victim was gang raped in 2002 by juveniles who also went unpunished. The case has drawn attention to the rampant prevalence of drug use, sexual assault and violence in Aboriginal communities, the Associated Press reports.
