The troubled Outback town of Alice Springs has once again been thrust into the national spotlight after a horrific attack on a newborn baby girl during a home invasion.
Police allege two boys, 16 and 17, broke into a house on Bokhara Street in Larapinta at 2.30pm on Wednesday, demanding cash.
The pair allegedly stole a mum-of-four’s wallet and keys before belting her and the baby girl over the head with a metal freezer handle.
The impact fractured the infant’s skull and caused a brain bleed. She was airlifted to hospital in Adelaide and is now in a stable condition, along with her mother.
It can now be revealed the two teens who were arrested just 90 minutes after the sickening alleged attack were out on bail, despite having a combined 300 criminal charges against them and the NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy admitting the pair ‘are well known to us’.
The Australian reported the 16-year-old had been previously charged with 274 offences and bailed 25 times, while the 17-year-old racked up 19 offences and was bailed 10 times.
Extra police officers from Darwin arrived in the crime-riddled town on Thursday to ramp up 24-7 patrols in the wake of the latest shocking incident.
But fed-up locals have flooded social media demanding that more be done to lock up repeat offenders and stop the revolving door of violence in Alice Springs.
A two-month old baby suffered a fractured skull in an horrific alleged home invasion in a Alice Springs suburb on Wednesday. Police are pictured at the scene
The incident prompted a visit from NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro to Alice Springs on Thursday, which didn’t go down well with many locals
‘Why does it always take extreme incidents for a bigger response? They know the problems and they play out time and time again,’ the community organisation Action for Alice 2020 wrote on Facebook.
‘Why hasn’t the suburbs had more presence before this?’ It’s been happening for weeks.’
The post was inundated with comments from angry locals who fear the cycle of violence is doomed to continue without tougher penalties.
‘Absolutely useless without meaningful harsh penalties… and we all know that ain’t gonna happen,’ one wrote.
Another added: ‘Without harsher consequences nothing will change. Kids under 14 still get released and if you knock a police officer to the ground you get a month suspended sentence… As long as that doesn’t change, good luck with it.
A third commented: ‘Time to bring in the military/AFP as a ‘peacekeeping’ force. The NT Police clearly do not have sufficient resources to achieve a deterrent factor!’
The baby’s father is a government employee who was at work at the time of the alleged assault.
While he praised police for their speedy response to the alleged incident, he doesn’t have any faith in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese solving the violent crime crisis in Alice Springs.
‘It wouldn’t be the same if this was happening to him,’ he told The Australian.
‘What do you say that doesn’t fall on deaf ears?’
‘It’s upsetting, it’s angering, it’s frightening, it really is.’
The father also gave an update on his baby girl, whose stable condition ‘fluctuates’ due to a ‘significant skull fracture and a small bleed on the brain’.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and Police Commissioner Murphy also copped criticism from the community after travelling to Alice Springs on Thursday to announce an increased police presence in the wake of the incident.
The baby’s father doesn’t have much faith in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) coming up with solutions to address the crime epidemic in Alice Springs
Ms Finocchiaro received a hostile reception from anti-crime advocate Darren Clark, who ambushed the chief minister at the airport
‘Where have you been?’ Mr Clark repeatedly heckled.
‘You told us that you were going to protect this town!
‘You told us you were going to protect this town. Our women are scared, the place is terrified, you do nothing.
‘Why has it taken you so long Lia? Why?
‘Absolute disgrace, you promised us, you promised this community.
‘It’s time to step up or get out.’
He also called on Ms Finocchiaro in a follow-up video to ‘resign now’.
Mr Clark also unleashed on NT Police Commissioner Murphy.
‘Don’t say you’ve got more police because you don’t have them Murphy!’ he called out.
‘You don’t have the police and you know it!’
Commissioner Murphy later said there had been an ‘escalation’ of crime in Alice Springs since December 3.
NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy (pictured) has ramped up cop patrols following an ‘escalation’ of crime in Alice Springs this month
Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro received a hostile reception from fed-up locals when she arrived in Alice Springs on Thursday
‘There’s been a number of serious crimes in Alice Springs, ranging from abductions, sexual assaults and home burglaries and home invasions with the stealing of motor vehicles,’ the Commissioner said.
He was confident the NT police could provide protection in Alice Springs without calling backup form the South Australia Police, ADF or AFP.
Chief Minister Finocchiaro said, ‘We need to make sure that if we have an ask of the federal government, it’s going to deliver for people on the ground’.
‘People have a right to be safe in their homes, the community deserves to be safe.’
Prime Minister Albanese has called for the perpetrators of the alleged assault on the mother and baby to face the ‘full force of the law’.
‘This is a horrific, unspeakable act and my thoughts are with the child and their family at this time,’ Mr Albanese said.
‘This is unacceptable and the full force of the law should be brought down on these perpetrators.’
Federal Senator and local resident Jacinta Nampijinpa Price described the reports of violence in the Alice Springs community as ‘absolutely sickening’.
The latest incident has prompted more police resources being deployed to Alice Springs
Terrified Local residents have expressed their and anger and frustration the violence in Alice Springs will continue to spiral without harsher penalties for offenders (Alice Springs is pictured)
‘As a resident of Alice Springs, I know the fear people have of just being in their own home,’ Ms Price said.
‘When people have reason to fear violent attacks inside their homes, things are terribly wrong.
‘The federal government cannot escape responsibility for the disastrous situation we are seeing.’
The two teens aged 16 and 17 accused of the alleged assault faced court on Thursday.
Both teens had been out on bail for violent offences.
Both teens will remain in custody until their next court appearances on February 13.
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