Mother allegedly 'laughed' while intellectually disabled teenage son was tortured
The mother of an intellectually disabled teenager who was allegedly tortured, allegedly laughed and joked while watching on, a court has heard during her bail application.
A teenage boy with an intellectual disability was allegedly tortured by his mother while laughing at the scene, a court heard. Eleven individuals, including six minors, have been charged following the incident at a residence in Townsville, Australia, on July 18. The 17-year-old was found by joggers in nearby bushland on July 18.
According to police prosecutor Lescha Lawson during a bail hearing for the boy's mother, the assault began after the mother falsely claimed her son was a pedophile. The court also heard that the teenager was allegedly assaulted with metal rods, a horse whip, and was subsequently wrapped in plastic, zip tied, and transported to bushland.
The mother allegedly actively participated in the assault, encouraging others and laughing as her son was beaten. The boy has suffered multiple injuries, including a broken nose, scalp lacerations, spinal fracture, tibia fracture, and significant bruising. His defense lawyer argued there was insufficient evidence linking him to the offense, and his mother's involvement remained unclear.
The mother was denied bail and her case was postponed until September. One of the co-accused, who attempted to defend the child, was also denied bail after the prosecutor alleged she was more than a passive bystander, actively participating in the assault and communicating with others via text messages.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
