Members of the Northern Territory Police Joint Child Abuse Taskforce (CAT) report the arrest of five men over the past 10 months in a remote Territory community.
The CAT has been working in the community since January this year, investigating a number of crimes against children and at the same time conducting a range of activities to engage with the community and strengthen their capacity to protect children.
The crimes for which the five men have been apprehended are unrelated.
Superintendent Jo Foley of the Major Crime Division said the Child Abuse Taskforce has been working tirelessly with the community on a number of levels in an attempt to put a stop to these crimes and bring the offenders to justice. In particular, the local police and community elders have been instrumental in the on-going success of the CAT investigations.
"Following extensive engagement in this particular community, we are uncovering child abuse which we have little doubt has previously gone unreported.
"We're confident that the permanent police presence at this community is also contributing to people feeling more comfortable and confident to speak to police. The community know their reports are taken extremely seriously and will be acted upon.
"We can't begin to provide adequate protection to children when we don't know what is going on in a community. The fact that children are talking to us is precisely what the CAT team has been working tirelessly to achieve. Interviewing child victims of sexual abuse is incredibly sensitive and challenging.
"Members of the Taskforce will continue to work closely with the community over the coming weeks to reinforce their safety and establish if there are other victims of abuse. This is a very important stage in a very complex and thorough process." she said.
The Child Abuse Taskforce is a joint initiative between the Northern Territory Police and Northern Territory Families and Children, supported by the Australian Federal Police. Next week marks the three year anniversary since this joint approach was first launched.
The five men will appear in Darwin Magistrates Court and the NT Supreme Court at various dates over the next three months.
Media contact:
Amy Sloan
8922 3365
