Australians across the country are calling for the four young men who allegedly sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl for six hours to be ‘named and shamed’.
Police have arrested four males, aged 14, 16, 18 and 19, over the alleged horrific sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl on December 15, 2024.
The 16-year-old is accused of nine counts of sexual intercourse without consent during the teenage girl’s six-hour ordeal as part of 24 charges in total, including eight counts of aggravated sex assault.
The 18-year-old was at a Sadleir property before he was taken to Liverpool Police Station where he was charged with nine counts of aggravated sex assault.
The 14-year-old was arrested at a home in Miller and charged with ten offences including seven counts of aggravated sex assault.
Only the 19-year-old, Adam Abdul-Hamid, can be named because of the ages of the accused.
He was arrested in Heckenberg in Sydney’s southwest on Tuesday and charged with five counts of aggravated sex assault – offender in company with other person/s.
But horrified Australians were outraged after learning about the horrific sexual assault, with many calling for all the offenders to be ‘named and shamed’.
Adam Abdul-Hamid, 19, was arrested at a home in Heckenberg, in Sydney’s south-west, for his alleged involvement in the horrific sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl in December last year
‘They should name them all as well, regardless of age,’ one person demanded on social media.
‘Name and shame – they don’t deserve to have their identities covered. I hope that poor young lady is getting all the help she needs,’ a second person wrote.
‘I hope that poor young lady is getting all the help she needs,’ a second wrote.
‘They did adult crime, show the faces. They thought they were big enough to do that. The poor girl didn’t ask for it,’ a third added.
Hundreds of others claimed the teenagers should be ‘tried as adults’ due to the severity of the alleged crime.
‘Adult crime. Adult time. These creatures are old enough to understand their actions,’ one wrote.
‘If they’re old enough to sexually abuse a girl, they’re old enough to be tried as adults,’ a second commented. Others simply commented: ‘Adult crime, adult time’.
‘The 14-year-old and 16-year-old should be tried as adults,’ said another. ‘They are old enough to know their actions and have consequences – especially ones this bad.’
Abdul-Hamid, 19, was arrested along with three other males, aged 14, 16 and 18, for the alleged sexual assault
The girl was allegedly approached at about 5.30pm at a shopping centre in Liverpool, 31km southwest of Sydney’s CBD.
Police allege the ‘charismatic’ 16-year-old ‘struck up a friendly conversation’ with the girl before following her to the car park where she reluctantly let him inside her car and he began sexually assaulting her.
D uring the sexual assault, the 16-year-old allegedly had a video call with the co-accused and filmed parts of it, sending it to the other offenders.
He then asked to be driven 5km to Wheat Park in Sadleir, which the victim agreed to on the understanding he would get out of the car when they arrived.
At the park, police allege two other males entered the car, and they also allegedly sexually assaulted the girl.
A fourth male then arrived in another vehicle, according to police, and the alleged sexual assault continued as the girl was driven around.
‘It beggars belief that in this day and age men would think to act this way towards a girl,’ said.State Crime Command’s Sex Crime Squad commander Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty.
She said the accused drove her car ‘erratically’ while they continued to degrade and assault the victim.
‘The four of them acted together, creating fear on the victim, degrading her, whilst the others offended against her, and at times, there was more than one person offending against this poor young girl,’ she added.
Aussies across the country called for the offenders to be ‘named and shamed’ and to receive ‘adult time’ for their crimes (pictured, Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty at a press conference on Wednesday)
‘They haven’t stopped at any point during that six hours and said this is wrong to any of their co-offenders.
‘That’s the difficult part to come with, that four people could act together and keep going at that type of offending over such a long time.’
The alleged six-hour ordeal ended at about 11.30pm when the males departed and left the girl in her car.
The teenager immediately contacted a friend who took her to Liverpool Police Station to report the alleged attack.
‘To act not just instantaneously, but over a six hour period, continuing to act together and encourage each other and degrade the victim in the way that they did,’ said Doherty.
‘That type of thinking in any person is just unbelievable and unacceptable.’
The matter was referred to State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad who established Strike Force Dungannon to investigate.
The two younger males faced a children’s court that same month, while months of investigation led to the two older alleged culprits being arrested on Tuesday.
Officers arrested the 16-year-old at a home in Condell Park in south-west Sydney, on December 20, 2024.
He was taken to Bankstown Police Station where he was charged with 24 offences including nine counts of sexual intercourse without consent and eight counts of aggravated sex assault – offender in company with other person/s.
Detectives arrested the 14-year-old boy the same day. He was charged with 10 offences including seven counts of aggravated sex assault – offender in company with other person/s.
Both the 16-year-old and 14-year-old boys were refused bail and faced a children’s court on December 21, 2024.
Abdul-Hamid is the only person named as his co-accused are considered minors and protected under Section 11 of the NSW Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987
Following an extensive investigation, detectives identified the two other males allegedly involved in the sexual assault.
Abdul-Hamid is the only person named as his co-accused are considered minors and protected under Section 11 of the NSW Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987.
Dramatic police footage showed Strike Force Police, along with the Public Order and Riot Squad, breaking down the door as they executed a warrant at his home on Tuesday.
Police also arrested the 18-year-old man at the Sadleir property before taking him to Liverpool Police Station. He was denied bail and is set to face a children’s court on Wednesday.
Despite being 18 years old, the alleged offender was not named as he was a juvenile at the time of the alleged sexual assault.
NSW Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 prohibits the publication or broadcast of the names of children involved in criminal proceedings and extends to all forms of media both during and after a trial.
A child or juvenile is considered to be anyone under the age of 18-years-old, with most criminal cases involving minors dealt with in the Children’s Court.
Abdul-Hamid is spending the night in jail after he made no application for bail when his case was called at Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday following his arrest.
Abdul-Hamid’s solicitor Muhammad Tehsledar said he would be making a release order application for his client (pictured, Abdul-Hamid being arrested)
Abdul-Hamid’s solicitor Muhammad Tehsledar told the court he did not require his client to appear via audio-visual link when the matter was heard.
Mr Tehseldar said he would be making a release order application for Abdul-Hamid in coming days.
Outside court, Mr Tehseldar said Abdul-Hamid maintained his innocence and it would be inappropriate to make any further comment.
The case was adjourned to Campbelltown Local Court on August 13.
