A woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a 10-year-old boy says she felt alone despite being in the centre of town in broad daylight.
Maira Cappiello says she was walking down Lake Street in the Cairns CBD around 10am on Wednesday when she felt a “pinch on her bum”.
“While I was stopping to send a message, I felt a hand under my skirt and pinching my bum,” she said.
“I reacted and turned around to see who was doing it and it seemed like everyone was minding their own business, so I couldn’t understand what was happening.
“And then I saw this young boy laughing. I got very angry, and I chased him.
“I asked him to apologise.”
The boy has since been charged with one count of sexual assault, common assault and assault occasioning bodily harm whilst in company.
‘I was screaming … no-one cared’
As a result of her confronting the boy, a group of other young people entered the scene.
Ms Cappiello said despite the public ruckus, no-one on the street stopped to help her.
As things escalated, she said she warned the group that she was calling the police.
The police told her to enter a shop for safety, but she did not want to let the group get away without any repercussions.
“I wanted to be able to recognise these kids so that I could report them to the police,” she said.
“I wanted to show them that I wasn’t scared.
“As a victim of sexual assault, I don’t want to hide.”
She told the group she had called the police.
A scuffle ensued, in which Ms Cappiello said it felt like the young people had “nothing to lose”.
“I was screaming … no-one cared. Until I was blessed by two big men passing by,” she said.
“I wasn’t expecting to be alone in that moment. How can you be alone at 10am in the city centre?”
Medical documents sighted by the ABC, said Ms Cappiello suffered a bruise on her ear, minor injuries to both her cheeks, swelling in her knee and has neck pain as a result of the incident.
‘Nothing worse than feeling alone’
She said the incident has left her wanting to leave the city she has lived in for the past two years.
“The place I called yesterday — my home — today is my nightmare,” she said.
“I wish my partner and I could go and live in another city in Australia, away from all this. The only reason we are staying here is because we are on a visa.
“To the Cairns community, please help people when they are in a situation like mine because there is nothing worse than feeling alone, while feeling pain and being attacked.”
The boy has been dealt with through the process of restorative justice, which means he won’t go to court.
A female associate was also apprehended but has also been engaged with restorative justice and released.
Queensland police said the investigation was ongoing and they were still looking for a number of people allegedly involved in the incident.
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