Claim of pack rape at Cotter camp site

the 19 year olds we were with happen to be people we have both known for our entire live! and two of them happened to be my siblings so dont judje mate that our family! saying the parents would be held responsible? yeah mistakes were made but who doesnt makes mistakes? she wasnt taking candy from strangersshe didnt want this for herself so just frop it because your really starting to hurt her you dont think she has been through enough?

Parents should be made accountable for everyone of their childs actions until age 18.

Caf, thanks for the article, it was interesting. I think parents get blamed too much for things they shouldn’t, then end up blaming everyone else for things they should do themselves.

It’s even sadder is that these people are being seen as victims themselves, thus relegating the real victims to footnotes in legal proceedings.

Thumper,
never a truer word was said.

This editorial “Why I let my 9 year old ride the New York Subway alone” may be of interest.

There was a couple of 19 year olds along as well (the girl’s sister and her partner).

And even kids from well supervised homes will go out at night – I know I did.

The sad reality is, though, Nemo, although your intentions are good – kids will usually only see that as a boundary to test. I’m sure I’m not the only person in the world who snuck out on their parents or lied about a sleep-over.

“The world sure has changed if 15 year olds aren’t considered responsible enough to look after themselves on an overnight camping trip anymore.”

Caf, there is not a chance in hell I would let my 14yo son go on an unsupervised camping trip with his friends and I know many parents of kids this age feel the same. I’m probably the meanest mum in the world, but my kids are safe.

I agree that what happened can never be condoned and there can never be any excuse for the people who did this. I also know from experience that its easy to make life-changing mistakes when we are young. I made a ‘biggie’ when I was 18 and it changed my life irrevocably but hey, turns out that even though it was a pretty bad choice at the time and I wished for years I hadn’t made it, it turns out its led me in no small to who I am today – (i.e. very happy).

In the case of person22, sorry, I’m not sure that going on an open forum to talk about the recent events in any great detail is the right way to go about doing things. No offence to other RA users but can anybody actually independently verify that person22 was actually involved in the incident? The discussion in this thread just reads a little odd from my perspective (e.g. ‘it was a friend, now its me’). Sorry if anybody wants to attack me for saying this, but I think it needs to be said.

For what it’s worth, I believe that the victim of this outrageous attack needs to get serious professional help, and quickly. Person22, if this is you, or you do know the victim, I’d also suggest you/they get good legal advice ASAP so you/they don’t damage your case unnecessarily by talking about this publically. It really can make all the difference in court.

It certainly is sad that, even in these “enlightened” times, women and girls still aren’t safe, that they need Men to protect them from other men, and that they don’t really have freedom of movement, lest they find themselves in the company of men who are going to rape them.

Let’s hope that the new ACT jail is about to get three new guests.

I read and understood your comment completely, Maelinar. As I said, I take issue with trying to put this heinous crime in perspective with a more unlikely extreme. It’s drawing away from the central issue at hand, in my opinion.

I’m not sure you have actually made any points worth answering there WMD. I do have a concept of what rape is, though.

When you look at it though, she accepted lollies from strangers. Pretty much the first lesson you seriously learn as a child, after look right, left and right again.

Naturally, those who perpetrated the crime are to blame. My point, not that you actually read past two sentences so I can type whatever I like down here, was that if you are going to do it, then I’m more glad it wasn’t in the company of axe murderers.

Go on, 17:34 I posted it, read it again now that I’ve explained it to you.

Oh you cold, hard man, Maelinar. Sympathy is not a ‘role’, it’s the natural reaction of anyone with a brain and an ounce of compassion.

I don’t think you have a concept of what rape is. It’s no ‘well, oh bugger, better avoid that next time’ case. It’s an assault on someone’s person, their right to choose sexual partners and their self-esteem. It’s an act which affects a person for the rest of their lives. To try and damper the damage by looking at less-likely scenarios is nothing but a vague attempt to conceal it’s severity.

I admit this girl’s action weren’t the smartest, but teenagers are taking the kind of risk she did all the time. Most people start drinking around 14-15, if not younger. I certainly did and f-k I did some stupid things then. Sometimes I wonder how I’m still alive.

What are we going to do? Point fingers at the victim and call them stupid every time some pervert takes advantage of a drunken young girl? This kind of crime happens so frequently and young people drink so much throughout the country that we’ll be doing that forever.

Responsibility for the crime is solely in the hands of those who chose to commit the rape. Their decision is far more the dominating factor and they are the ones who should be attributed all the blame and punished accordingly. If people didn’t commit these reprehensible acts, there wouldn’t be a risk of rape, pure and simple.

I’m sorry this happened to you, Person22. It shouldn’t have, no matter what you did.

Oh what ever happened to don’t accept lollies from strangers.

No you didn’t deserve to get raped, nobody does. But there’s stupid actions, and silly little analogies that have been around since the 60’s about the merits of strangers kindness.

You are not treading along a new path. I wish you the best in your recovery from this situation, and trust you have learnt a VERY valuable life lesson. You can always be thankful that it wasn’t 3 axe murderers to learn the lesson with if all else fails, cause you’d be dead.

I apologise if you came here expecting sympathy. That’s the role of the church, not the internet.

person 22, what goes around comes around and these bastards will hopefully feel the effects of what they have done to you one day, hopefully 10 fold.

Im sorry if my comments made you feel stupid or at fault but it wasn’t my intention,
I couldn’t imagine what you have been through, it would have been a horrible experience.

I hope you get the help and support you need to help you through this:)

person22 given that there would be ongoing investigations into this matter, my advice would be not to discuss the events in an open forum such as this. I dare say the defence lawyers could have a field day in tripping you up in an open court with respect to your commentry here. Best of luck.

oh and thankyou thumper for your input
its much appreciated,
and everyone elses even if i didn’t agree with them
but please have some compassion before
you call me a retard because i was raped

what have I done to you?
I havn’t directly insulted
anyone, I know all of you have made
dumb decisions in your lives,
which is what these rapists have done, (one day you may feel the need to point your finger at the perpatrators instead of causing one huge contraversy)

I really don’t understand the fact that I
have heard people say more sh*t about me
than the f*ckers who commited a horrible act!
my decision should not be put in the same catogory
as rape…
Let alone my decision being overly compinsated for
the perps actions
every little comment made

you don’t know me just because I didn’t spell
a word right or made a dumb decision that reflected back on me
it doesnt mean that i’m someone to spit on…

i might actually be a nice person that you may get along with
maybe instead of being a pack of inconsidorate losers who need
a life outside of riotact…you could look through someone elses
eyes….

that is all i have to say
it’s really your decision
i just want you to think carefully
before you say something…
thanks

I do see that most people agree the offenders should rot in hell, although this was followed by a BUT… so and so. “But” is really just an excuse to say what you really mean. I’m sorry but.. it’s your fault.

At this stage though I don’t think she needs to hear the following.

“but how stupid is she for getting in to a car with a bunch of strangers and what is a 15 year old doing camping out at the Cotter anyway”

“what 15yo hangs out with 19yo’s for a start”.

“What’s a 15yo doing at the Cotter on Saturday night with no adults”?

“What the hell is she doing getting in a car with 3 strange guys”???

“Let this be a warning to young girls about what can happen whan you are a bloody idiot”.

“Me too, except luckily I lived in a household with rules and a curfew”.

“Ahhh, thge English language was such a beautiful thing until Person 22 and her multiple personalities got hold of it”.

“How does all that sunshine get through the cotton wool? FFS. Go drown yourself in a solution of common sense you retard”.

I don’t really give a f*ck what the 15 year old girl was doing. The point of the matter is (from what was reprted anyway) that she was raped. Why are we not saying/questioning why 3 men are driving around in a van raping young girls? How 3 men can so blazingly rape someone and how there has been no info in the media about his. And I have to question this reporter as well – why is he going to the victims school and speaking to her friends? Maybe the reporter should be going to the rapists places of work and seeking info from co-workers?! I just think it’s a bit slack to critisise the victim, I’m sure she is well aware her choices were not the best but it’s a bit too early for critisims – I think anyway. I think she needs encouragement from people. But hey if bloggers here can live with themselves after putting down a 15 year old rape victim, then knock yourself out. It hasn’t stopped anyone before.

Lets just hope the fckers get removed from society.

Truly, sometimes the people on this website are dispicable. I know you all love putting your 2 cents in, creating controversy and belittling teenagers about spelling and grammer but maybe, just maybe, you could say something encouraging?? Crazy concept I know! It might help this girl get through a tough time because I’m sure the last thing she is thinking about is how beautiful the english language is!

So person22 and her friends etc.. I’m going to be the first and say I’m sorry for what happened to you and the horrible experience you were put through. We’ve all made some bad choices but these men took advantage of that and did something illegal and disgusting. They are criminals and should be jailed. It was not your fault. You should get some counselling, when you speak to the police you should request this. I wish you the best. Don’t listen to the people on here.

The world sure has changed if 15 year olds aren’t considered responsible enough to look after themselves on an overnight camping trip anymore.

Were the “responsible adults” the 19 year old friends?

I can probably count the number of truly responsible 19 year olds that I’ve meet in my life so far on one hand!

Ahhh, thge English language was such a beautiful thing until Person 22 and her multiple personalities got hold of it.

I’m sure they seemed like nice, decent non-rapists when you first met them, rather like Hanibal Lector would seem like the sort of bloke you’d share a home-made roast pork roll with.

Teenage girls and boys are stupid and do really stupid things and annoy the shit out of me. However agree with the sentiments that it doesn’t mean they deserve to be raped.

How does all that sunshine get through the cotton wool ?

FFS. Go drown yourself in a solution of common sense you retard.

hi dave blehh

My mother, is one the most beautiful people in the world
she knew there were responsible sober adults looking after me,
what we both didn’t know is that there was a bunch of rapists there,
if I had of known they were rapists I would have never gotten in the vehicle…
and I think the punishment was enough to let me know that there were stupid decisions made,
I think that people should back off a little and realize that I never asked for this
to happen, and I really don’t need everyone at school telling me that I deserved this let alone strangers basically saying that i’m pathectic,
and they did seem really nice at first…
And I am not going to make that kind of decision again…
But you need to realize that they were the ones who did it, not me,
this event has ruined my whole life,
I really don’t appreciate everyone gossiping about me online when they have
no clue what happened or who I am…

“Well I’m willing to own up to making plenty of stupid choices when I was 15.”

Me too, except luckily I lived in a household with rules and a curfew. This meant as a 15yo I was never in the position of being drunk at the cotter with strange men.

No, I think what the judge’ll say is that it was a “cry for help”. From the perps.

ant said :

I’m sure the Judge will give them a severe talking-to.

Yes, I’m sure the rape will serve as a ‘wake up call’ to the rapists. (If they get before Penfold)

I’m sure the Judge will give them a severe talking-to.

GNT – sure she made some drunk decisions. That does not give anyone a license to rape her. The people that did this to her take ALL the blame.

Well I’m willing to own up to making plenty of stupid choices when I was 15.
I was just luckier than this poor girl.

Have the police actually arrested the 3 guys. I’m amazed they thought they could get away with this. Did they think she wouldn’t say anything?

I suspect qtpie111 is a troll

no they were not the ones who raped her but she was following her instincts and she thought they were safe…she now knows she was being stupid but she doesn’t need everyone telling her that she is…and that’s what this journalist is trying to potray
he is trying to earn a dollar and he doesn’t care who he hurts in the process,
he is portraying this poor girl as a dumb teen so people talk heaps about this article and guess what !!!! people are taking the bate like a pack of starved wolves
no she will never be okay ever
and it really doesn’t help when people tell her
that its mostly her fault
so she blames herself…
you guys are all sick
!!!!!!!!!

I feel for the girl I really do and as I said before I hope the blokes that did this to her rot, Are you saying that the 19year olds were the ones that raped her? Did she know the blokes that did it?
The story is a bit confusing?

I would never wish this upon anyone, but when I was 15 I always knew to keep my wits about me and never put myself in situations, I listened to my instincts and it’s kept me safe up till now.
She definitely made a wrong choice,I hope she is ok.

Settle down. I think everyone’s agreeing with you, that you and your friend made stupid choices. And I think you would agree that you wouldn’t want anyone else making the same stupid choices.

ok i really did ask her to get out of the car we herd her scream but the whole night the people at the other end of the camping ground were having a party so we thought they were just being kids and having a good time you were not there and you didnt see or here what happened the way we did we tried to stop her shes my best friend and i would never want anything to happen to her i love her with all my heart and am so sorry i didnt do more but shes reading all these comments and your all saying shes stupid SHE WAS DRUNK WE WERE DRUNK JUST LEAVE IT ALONE! and the 19 year olds my sisters mates ok so they were just tryna be nice and take us camping we have known them for years alright! we arnt stupid we just made stupid choices

maybe this girls punishment wasnt enough for her maybe she needs the whole public scrutinising her and pointing there fingers at her..maybe rape wasnt enough to let her know she was dumb

OH AND EVERYTHING SHE KNOWS COMES OUT OF THIS GOD DAMN NEWS PAPER THE POLICE HAVE NOT CONTACTED HER AT ALL..

OK…
firstly…we should all know that reporters do not usually write a story like that
indicating they are making her seem like a dumb girl…
secondly…they were hanging out with her some of the night before she left the CAMP site…
thirdly…it was saturday night when it happened
fourth…the nineteen year olds were her friends sister and her sisters boyfriend WHICH THE GIRL KNEW FOR YEARS
fifth…they didnt seem so strange at first
sixth…the petrol station wasnt far away so she didnt think she was doing anything that would put her in danger…
her friends drunk alot she drank alot
..she was screaming as loud as you ever hearD anyone scream she was 5 mins away from her camp site….why wasnt she helped…her friend was going to go with her at first but she said nah id rather stay and this girl who was raped never ever heard her friend say don’t go…
now this journalist interviewed this girl and he put the dumbest thing she said on that news paper purposfully………..THERE WERE RESPONSIBLE SOBER ADULTS THERE SO DONT SAY SHI*T ABOUT STUFF YOU HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT…WHAT THE HELL IS SHE THINKING AS SHE READS YOUR SH*T….OMG SHE IS SO F..ING DEPRESSED OVER THAT AND SHE KNOWS SHE MADE THE RONG DECISION BUT THAT DOES NOT MAKE THE DECISIONS OF THE OFFENDERS ANYMORE RIGHT BECAUSE SHE MADE 1 DUMB DECISION…..THIS JOURNALIST HAS VISITED HER SCHOOL SPOKE TO HER SCHOOL FRIENDS AND TOLD THEM BASICALLY THAT IT WAS HER SO NOW SHE IS BEING BULLIED BECAUSE OF HIS DUMB DECISION MAYBE YOU COULD CONDEMN HIM FOR MAKING HIS STUPID MISTAKE

I cannot believe the girl got in the car with the 3 blokes either , what a stupid thing to do… maybe her judgment was clouded by alcohol?? Her friends should of tried to stop her a bit better by dragging her away from the car or slapping her across the face and telling her to wake up to herself.

Does this girl not read or watch the news, Geeezzzzzzz.
As for the three f@#kers who raped her, may they burn in hellllllll!!!

The feminist in me wants to say don’t blame the victim, her behaviour doesn’t excuse the rape etc. But my initial reaction is the same as those above:

What’s a 15yo doing at the Cotter on Saturday night with no adults?

What the hell is she doing getting in a car with 3 strange guys???

Let this be a warning to young girls about what can happen whan you are a bloody idiot.

Also note the comment by the “mother of a friend of the alleged victim”, “A lot of teenagers go out there on the weekends, the weekend is coming, and I’m worried about it happening again”. Here’s a hint: don’t let your teenager go camping without a responsible adult!

I think the CT has the day wrong (never let the facts get in the way of a good story…), I happened to stop in at the Cotter camp ground to use the loo at about 8.30-9.00am on Sunday morning and there were two marked cop cars and at least two maybe three unmarked (detectives?) cars there as well. Passed another marked cop car going the other way on the way down there too. So I’m guessing the alleged incident happened on Saturday night. I wondered what was going on with all the cops there, now I know.

hmm, what 15yo hangs out with 19yo’s for a start. I’m pretty sure only reason my sister and my brother ever wanted to hang out with me when i was 19 was because i could buy them alcohol.

“By no means am I advocating the actions of these rapists, but how stupid is she for getting in to a car with a bunch of strangers and what is a 15 year old doing camping out at the Cotter anyway?”

My thoughts too. I mean some people really do get themselves into some really bad situations because they don’t think for five seconds about the possible consequences of their actions.

By no means am I advocating the actions of these rapists, but how stupid is she for getting in to a car with a bunch of strangers and what is a 15 year old doing camping out at the Cotter anyway?

I camped there prior to Easter alone with my 4yo daughter and felt completely safe… these d*ckheads have now put doubts in my mind. Not that either of us would be getting into a car with strangers mind you…

You’re right – so they might even be found not guilty by reason of being pathetic.

Young girl getting into a van with a bunch of strangers you found at the Cotter, against your group of friends’ advice is a ‘bad move’ in almost anyone’s book these days…

Not saying that she’s at fault or by any means excusing the actions of the alleged offenders, mind you.

@papadoc:
What the police are referring to as “Sun 30Mar” is probably is what the public refer amongst themselves to as “The night of March 29” (as in before sunup on Sunday).
The nearest servo to the Cotter would be Weston Creek, where its 24hr service.

@Cameron:
If they appear, won’t they just need to claim tragic\misadventured childhood?
There was that one notorious pushover of a judge, whose name I forget…

$20 says these blokes are charged, tried, and convicted, and sentenced to 10 months each. Probably suspended.