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Australian man from Western Australia faces charges of aggravated assault after allegedly using cable ties to restrain three children.
The incident occurred when the man found a six-year-old girl and two boys aged seven and eight swimming on a vacant property.
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Video footage circulating online appears to show two of the children tied up and crying.
Upon receiving a call from the 45-year-old man reporting the incident in Broome, police arrived at the scene where they discovered two children physically restrained with cable ties. The third child, the oldest boy, had fled the scene but was later located by officers.
Officials have expressed their dismay at the footage, and police have urged the community to remain calm. The Minors, who are believed to be Indigenous, were assessed by paramedics at the scene and subsequently reunited with their families.
Police stated that the force used to restrain the children was disproportionate given their age and vulnerability. The state’s children’s commissioner, Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, expressed concern, emphasizing that the children appeared young and frightened, lacking the neurodevelopment to understand consequences.
The man has been granted bail and is scheduled to appear before the Broome Magistrates Court on March 25. Recent government data highlights the disproportionately high rate of Indigenous Australian youths aged 10-17 in detention compared to non-Indigenous children.
The incident raises questions about the minimum age of criminal responsibility in Western Australia, set at ten years old.
