source : the age
Eleven people, including several teenagers, have been charged for allegedly torturing a teenage boy before tying him to a tree in a large park near Townsville.
The 17-year-old boy was discovered by members of the public in the vast public park north of the city called Town Commons about 6.30am on Saturday, July 18.
A police spokesperson said the teenager was tied to a tree in bushland off Cape Pallarenda Road, which runs along the beach from near Townsville airport to the waterfront community of Pallarenda.
He was taken to Townsville University Hospital in a stable condition.
Child protection police opened an investigation, which led to the arrest of a 13-year-old boy from the Townsville suburb of Deeragun on July 24.
He was charged with allegedly depravation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm, grievous bodily harm and torture.
Four days later a 35-year-old woman and a 14-year-old girl from nearby Kirwan were charged with the same offences, with a charge of driving without a licence added for the woman.
Eight more people have been charged since Friday.
A 36-year-old woman from Cranbrook, a 32-year-old from Kirwan, and a 40-year-old woman and 30-year-old man and a 24-year-old man all from Heatley were given the same charges.
They all faced the Townsville Magistrates Court on Friday and were remanded in custody.
Three 15-year-old boys – two from Kirwan charged on Friday, and one from Mount Low charged on Monday – are facing the same charges.
A police spokesperson said the investigation was ongoing.
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