Darling Downs girl allegedly raped on camping trip, court hears

Toowoomba Children’s Court heard the girl was on a camping trip with several teenagers when she was allegedly preyed on by the young man and raped in the back seat of his car.

Under Queensland law, the young man cannot be named because of his age.

During the hearing on Monday 17 June, the prosecution called a number of witnesses, including one of the two boys who organised the last-minute trip.

He told the court that he and a friend had set up camp before some other youths arrived in other vehicles and that over the course of the night the alleged victim had become very drunk and ill.

The witness said he had not seen the two at any social gatherings that day or night. After being woken up by his friend and alerted to the crying girl, he interrogated the alleged rapist twice that night.

He explained in court that when the teenager was first asked whether he had raped the young woman, he answered “no.” However, the second time he replied, “Yes, I did.”

The latter was news to the boy’s lawyers, who asked for a brief adjournment of the case to obtain clear instructions from the teenager and his parents, as well as court transcripts containing new evidence.

The prosecution has closed the case. However, it is not yet known whether the young man will testify during the trial. The court must also hear the closing arguments of the boy’s legal team.

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When questioned by Attorney Hurly, the previous witness confirmed that he did not tell police about the boy’s alleged confession in his statement because he “did not want to get involved.”

When an investigator from the Toowoomba Child Protection Unit was called to the witness box, Attorney Hurley asked him if he or anyone else from the unit had attempted to speak to the witness a second time – the investigator replied no.

During the partial trial, numerous other witnesses were called to give evidence, including other youths present, the young woman’s boyfriend and the sergeant of a police station in Darling Downs.

Judge Dennis Lynch KC adjourned the trial and continued it two days later, on Thursday 20 June.

When the alleged rapist was found guilty on another rape charge last month, he was remanded in custody while Judge Nathan Jarro deliberated on the sentence, which is scheduled to be announced in September 2024.