Chinese national charged with foreign interference in Canberra
A woman has been charged with allegedly collecting information about a Buddhist group on behalf of the Chinese government.
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The Advertiser
9 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Deeply shocked': school community in disbelief after stabbing death of Chinese exchange student
THE DEATH of a Chinese exchange student allegedly at the hands of another at their host family's Lake Macquarie home, has rattled a Hunter school community. The two girls, aged 13 and 14, were on exchange at Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale through Beijing Depu Cultural Exchange, a Chinese private limited company based in Beijing, which focuses on cultural exchanges between the East and West in education, architecture, and agriculture. The students had been in Australia since last week as part of a tour group. In a joint statement, Newcastle Waldorf School co-principals Peter Muddle and Tracey Ashton said they were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident involving the two visiting Chinese students. "Our priority has been to ensure care and professional support is in place for our school community as well as for the visiting students and their carers who find themselves dealing with grief far away from their families," they said. "We have arranged extra counselling to support everyone through this very difficult time." Mr Muddle and Ms Ashton confirmed the visit was organised through an external tour operator, and the school had agreed to its request for the students to attend and experience classes. "The tragedy occurred at a residence where both students were billeted," they said. "Although the host family is not connected with our school, we are thinking of them as they too, must cope with this ordeal. "Our thoughts and compassion are with the students, their families, and everyone affected at this time." Emergency services were called to an Edgeworth home just before 10.30pm on Monday. Early investigations indicate the two girls and the couple hosting them had retired to separate bedrooms for the night when the woman hosting heard a commotion. When she entered the 14-year-old girl's bedroom, she found her with one stab wound to her torso, police said. NSW Ambulance paramedics worked to save the child's life, rushing her to the hospital in a critical condition, where she later died. Police arrested a 13-year-old girl at the scene, and she was taken to Toronto police station. Officers also seized a kitchen knife for forensic examination. Detectives charged the girl with murder late on Tuesday night. At Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday, the 13-year-old made no application for release on bail, and it was formally refused. Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale offers a human-centred education based on Steiner principles. Depu, the Chinese company that placed the students in Newcastle, has an educational approach rooted in Waldorf education and 'Nature Pedagogy'. Depu was founded in 2012 in Beijing by Amerigo Sivelli, and originally focused on cultural exchange programs such as professional tours abroad and training. The Newcastle Herald has contacted Mr Sivelli for comment. The company organises travel for children and teenagers to "expose them to different cultures and languages". In Mandarin, "Depu" means the cultivation of virtuous seedlings. "Some of the targeted benefits are the inspiration to help shape their lives or the stewardship to form their worldview," Depu's website said. "The world is a stunning place, and experiencing it as a young person can trigger a more cultured, compassionate, and balanced personality." Posts on the company's Facebook page show Chinese students from the Hangzhou Manyuan Waldorf School visited the Newcastle Waldorf School earlier this year. THE DEATH of a Chinese exchange student allegedly at the hands of another at their host family's Lake Macquarie home, has rattled a Hunter school community. The two girls, aged 13 and 14, were on exchange at Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale through Beijing Depu Cultural Exchange, a Chinese private limited company based in Beijing, which focuses on cultural exchanges between the East and West in education, architecture, and agriculture. The students had been in Australia since last week as part of a tour group. In a joint statement, Newcastle Waldorf School co-principals Peter Muddle and Tracey Ashton said they were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident involving the two visiting Chinese students. "Our priority has been to ensure care and professional support is in place for our school community as well as for the visiting students and their carers who find themselves dealing with grief far away from their families," they said. "We have arranged extra counselling to support everyone through this very difficult time." Mr Muddle and Ms Ashton confirmed the visit was organised through an external tour operator, and the school had agreed to its request for the students to attend and experience classes. "The tragedy occurred at a residence where both students were billeted," they said. "Although the host family is not connected with our school, we are thinking of them as they too, must cope with this ordeal. "Our thoughts and compassion are with the students, their families, and everyone affected at this time." Emergency services were called to an Edgeworth home just before 10.30pm on Monday. Early investigations indicate the two girls and the couple hosting them had retired to separate bedrooms for the night when the woman hosting heard a commotion. When she entered the 14-year-old girl's bedroom, she found her with one stab wound to her torso, police said. NSW Ambulance paramedics worked to save the child's life, rushing her to the hospital in a critical condition, where she later died. Police arrested a 13-year-old girl at the scene, and she was taken to Toronto police station. Officers also seized a kitchen knife for forensic examination. Detectives charged the girl with murder late on Tuesday night. At Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday, the 13-year-old made no application for release on bail, and it was formally refused. Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale offers a human-centred education based on Steiner principles. Depu, the Chinese company that placed the students in Newcastle, has an educational approach rooted in Waldorf education and 'Nature Pedagogy'. Depu was founded in 2012 in Beijing by Amerigo Sivelli, and originally focused on cultural exchange programs such as professional tours abroad and training. The Newcastle Herald has contacted Mr Sivelli for comment. The company organises travel for children and teenagers to "expose them to different cultures and languages". In Mandarin, "Depu" means the cultivation of virtuous seedlings. "Some of the targeted benefits are the inspiration to help shape their lives or the stewardship to form their worldview," Depu's website said. "The world is a stunning place, and experiencing it as a young person can trigger a more cultured, compassionate, and balanced personality." Posts on the company's Facebook page show Chinese students from the Hangzhou Manyuan Waldorf School visited the Newcastle Waldorf School earlier this year. THE DEATH of a Chinese exchange student allegedly at the hands of another at their host family's Lake Macquarie home, has rattled a Hunter school community. The two girls, aged 13 and 14, were on exchange at Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale through Beijing Depu Cultural Exchange, a Chinese private limited company based in Beijing, which focuses on cultural exchanges between the East and West in education, architecture, and agriculture. The students had been in Australia since last week as part of a tour group. In a joint statement, Newcastle Waldorf School co-principals Peter Muddle and Tracey Ashton said they were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident involving the two visiting Chinese students. "Our priority has been to ensure care and professional support is in place for our school community as well as for the visiting students and their carers who find themselves dealing with grief far away from their families," they said. "We have arranged extra counselling to support everyone through this very difficult time." Mr Muddle and Ms Ashton confirmed the visit was organised through an external tour operator, and the school had agreed to its request for the students to attend and experience classes. "The tragedy occurred at a residence where both students were billeted," they said. "Although the host family is not connected with our school, we are thinking of them as they too, must cope with this ordeal. "Our thoughts and compassion are with the students, their families, and everyone affected at this time." Emergency services were called to an Edgeworth home just before 10.30pm on Monday. Early investigations indicate the two girls and the couple hosting them had retired to separate bedrooms for the night when the woman hosting heard a commotion. When she entered the 14-year-old girl's bedroom, she found her with one stab wound to her torso, police said. NSW Ambulance paramedics worked to save the child's life, rushing her to the hospital in a critical condition, where she later died. Police arrested a 13-year-old girl at the scene, and she was taken to Toronto police station. Officers also seized a kitchen knife for forensic examination. Detectives charged the girl with murder late on Tuesday night. At Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday, the 13-year-old made no application for release on bail, and it was formally refused. Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale offers a human-centred education based on Steiner principles. Depu, the Chinese company that placed the students in Newcastle, has an educational approach rooted in Waldorf education and 'Nature Pedagogy'. Depu was founded in 2012 in Beijing by Amerigo Sivelli, and originally focused on cultural exchange programs such as professional tours abroad and training. The Newcastle Herald has contacted Mr Sivelli for comment. The company organises travel for children and teenagers to "expose them to different cultures and languages". In Mandarin, "Depu" means the cultivation of virtuous seedlings. "Some of the targeted benefits are the inspiration to help shape their lives or the stewardship to form their worldview," Depu's website said. "The world is a stunning place, and experiencing it as a young person can trigger a more cultured, compassionate, and balanced personality." Posts on the company's Facebook page show Chinese students from the Hangzhou Manyuan Waldorf School visited the Newcastle Waldorf School earlier this year. THE DEATH of a Chinese exchange student allegedly at the hands of another at their host family's Lake Macquarie home, has rattled a Hunter school community. The two girls, aged 13 and 14, were on exchange at Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale through Beijing Depu Cultural Exchange, a Chinese private limited company based in Beijing, which focuses on cultural exchanges between the East and West in education, architecture, and agriculture. The students had been in Australia since last week as part of a tour group. In a joint statement, Newcastle Waldorf School co-principals Peter Muddle and Tracey Ashton said they were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident involving the two visiting Chinese students. "Our priority has been to ensure care and professional support is in place for our school community as well as for the visiting students and their carers who find themselves dealing with grief far away from their families," they said. "We have arranged extra counselling to support everyone through this very difficult time." Mr Muddle and Ms Ashton confirmed the visit was organised through an external tour operator, and the school had agreed to its request for the students to attend and experience classes. "The tragedy occurred at a residence where both students were billeted," they said. "Although the host family is not connected with our school, we are thinking of them as they too, must cope with this ordeal. "Our thoughts and compassion are with the students, their families, and everyone affected at this time." Emergency services were called to an Edgeworth home just before 10.30pm on Monday. Early investigations indicate the two girls and the couple hosting them had retired to separate bedrooms for the night when the woman hosting heard a commotion. When she entered the 14-year-old girl's bedroom, she found her with one stab wound to her torso, police said. NSW Ambulance paramedics worked to save the child's life, rushing her to the hospital in a critical condition, where she later died. Police arrested a 13-year-old girl at the scene, and she was taken to Toronto police station. Officers also seized a kitchen knife for forensic examination. Detectives charged the girl with murder late on Tuesday night. At Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday, the 13-year-old made no application for release on bail, and it was formally refused. Newcastle Waldorf School in Glendale offers a human-centred education based on Steiner principles. Depu, the Chinese company that placed the students in Newcastle, has an educational approach rooted in Waldorf education and 'Nature Pedagogy'. Depu was founded in 2012 in Beijing by Amerigo Sivelli, and originally focused on cultural exchange programs such as professional tours abroad and training. The Newcastle Herald has contacted Mr Sivelli for comment. The company organises travel for children and teenagers to "expose them to different cultures and languages". In Mandarin, "Depu" means the cultivation of virtuous seedlings. "Some of the targeted benefits are the inspiration to help shape their lives or the stewardship to form their worldview," Depu's website said. "The world is a stunning place, and experiencing it as a young person can trigger a more cultured, compassionate, and balanced personality." Posts on the company's Facebook page show Chinese students from the Hangzhou Manyuan Waldorf School visited the Newcastle Waldorf School earlier this year.
The Advertiser
12 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Legal issues arise in the prosecution of a 13-year-old Chinese girl for murder
The prosecution of a 13-year-old Chinese girl for the stabbing murder of a fellow exchange student at Lake Macquarie will present extraordinary challenges for the state's justice system. The prosecution of a child, who is also a foreign national, for murder is believed to be unprecedented in Australian legal circles. "There are certainly examples of children being prosecuted for murder, but I have never heard of a Chinese girl in a situation like this. It's quite extraordinary," Professor John Anderson from the University of Newcastle's School of Law and Justice said. Australia's youngest killer, known as SLD, was convicted of killing three-year-old Courtney Morley-Clarke on the Central Coast in 2001 when he was just 13. He was released from prison in March this year after serving 22 years in custody. For children over the age of 10 and under the age of 14, the common law presumption of doli incapax (incapable of wrong) applies to criminal offences - that is, children do not possess the necessary criminal intent to be held responsible for their actions. This means the law presumes they cannot distinguish between right and wrong in a way that would make them legally culpable for a crime. This can be rebutted by the prosecution if it can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the child understood their actions were seriously wrong. "If you look at the James Bulger case in England, those boys were 10 and 11 when they were prosecuted. There was a doli incapax argument raised in that case, but it was overcome," Professor Anderson said. "Prosecuting a 13-year-old does raise lots of other issues in the criminal system in terms of establishing criminal responsibility, but it's not impossible. Certainly, a 13-year-old can be criminally responsible. In addition to her age and nationality, the girl's fitness will be a further complication for prosecutors. Magistrate Andrew Eckhold noted that the girl, who can not be named, appeared to be"severely unwell" and was taking "an extraordinary number of medications" when the case was mentioned in Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday. "Depending on what the mental health issues are, and if there is any psychiatric evidence, it then becomes a question of whether they (the defence) can raise the mental health defenses to murder, of which there are two - the mental illness defense or the defense of substantial impairment by mental abnormality, which is only available to murder, and would reduce murder to manslaughter if it was successful," Professor Anderson said. Ultimately, the case will be determined in the NSW Supreme Court. Newcastle-based lawyer Drew Hamilton said he believed that, given the recent push by NSW Chief Justice Andrew Bell to bring justice to the regions, there was a fair chance a future trial would be held in Newcastle. Specialist resources will also have to be provided to ensure the girl is appropriately represented. "As a Chinese foreign national and young person, she would be considered extremely vulnerable," Mr Hamilton said. "She would need additional assistance from an experienced legal team, qualified interpreters, juvenile justice officers and allied health professionals. If found guilty, further questions would arise as to whether the girl would serve her sentence in Australia or whether she could be transferred to China. "Australia does have prisoner exchange programs with certain countries, but I think it would go over to the Foreign Minister. That would bring in very different types of negotiations," Professor Anderson said. The prosecution of a 13-year-old Chinese girl for the stabbing murder of a fellow exchange student at Lake Macquarie will present extraordinary challenges for the state's justice system. The prosecution of a child, who is also a foreign national, for murder is believed to be unprecedented in Australian legal circles. "There are certainly examples of children being prosecuted for murder, but I have never heard of a Chinese girl in a situation like this. It's quite extraordinary," Professor John Anderson from the University of Newcastle's School of Law and Justice said. Australia's youngest killer, known as SLD, was convicted of killing three-year-old Courtney Morley-Clarke on the Central Coast in 2001 when he was just 13. He was released from prison in March this year after serving 22 years in custody. For children over the age of 10 and under the age of 14, the common law presumption of doli incapax (incapable of wrong) applies to criminal offences - that is, children do not possess the necessary criminal intent to be held responsible for their actions. This means the law presumes they cannot distinguish between right and wrong in a way that would make them legally culpable for a crime. This can be rebutted by the prosecution if it can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the child understood their actions were seriously wrong. "If you look at the James Bulger case in England, those boys were 10 and 11 when they were prosecuted. There was a doli incapax argument raised in that case, but it was overcome," Professor Anderson said. "Prosecuting a 13-year-old does raise lots of other issues in the criminal system in terms of establishing criminal responsibility, but it's not impossible. Certainly, a 13-year-old can be criminally responsible. In addition to her age and nationality, the girl's fitness will be a further complication for prosecutors. Magistrate Andrew Eckhold noted that the girl, who can not be named, appeared to be"severely unwell" and was taking "an extraordinary number of medications" when the case was mentioned in Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday. "Depending on what the mental health issues are, and if there is any psychiatric evidence, it then becomes a question of whether they (the defence) can raise the mental health defenses to murder, of which there are two - the mental illness defense or the defense of substantial impairment by mental abnormality, which is only available to murder, and would reduce murder to manslaughter if it was successful," Professor Anderson said. Ultimately, the case will be determined in the NSW Supreme Court. Newcastle-based lawyer Drew Hamilton said he believed that, given the recent push by NSW Chief Justice Andrew Bell to bring justice to the regions, there was a fair chance a future trial would be held in Newcastle. Specialist resources will also have to be provided to ensure the girl is appropriately represented. "As a Chinese foreign national and young person, she would be considered extremely vulnerable," Mr Hamilton said. "She would need additional assistance from an experienced legal team, qualified interpreters, juvenile justice officers and allied health professionals. If found guilty, further questions would arise as to whether the girl would serve her sentence in Australia or whether she could be transferred to China. "Australia does have prisoner exchange programs with certain countries, but I think it would go over to the Foreign Minister. That would bring in very different types of negotiations," Professor Anderson said. The prosecution of a 13-year-old Chinese girl for the stabbing murder of a fellow exchange student at Lake Macquarie will present extraordinary challenges for the state's justice system. The prosecution of a child, who is also a foreign national, for murder is believed to be unprecedented in Australian legal circles. "There are certainly examples of children being prosecuted for murder, but I have never heard of a Chinese girl in a situation like this. It's quite extraordinary," Professor John Anderson from the University of Newcastle's School of Law and Justice said. Australia's youngest killer, known as SLD, was convicted of killing three-year-old Courtney Morley-Clarke on the Central Coast in 2001 when he was just 13. He was released from prison in March this year after serving 22 years in custody. For children over the age of 10 and under the age of 14, the common law presumption of doli incapax (incapable of wrong) applies to criminal offences - that is, children do not possess the necessary criminal intent to be held responsible for their actions. This means the law presumes they cannot distinguish between right and wrong in a way that would make them legally culpable for a crime. This can be rebutted by the prosecution if it can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the child understood their actions were seriously wrong. "If you look at the James Bulger case in England, those boys were 10 and 11 when they were prosecuted. There was a doli incapax argument raised in that case, but it was overcome," Professor Anderson said. "Prosecuting a 13-year-old does raise lots of other issues in the criminal system in terms of establishing criminal responsibility, but it's not impossible. Certainly, a 13-year-old can be criminally responsible. In addition to her age and nationality, the girl's fitness will be a further complication for prosecutors. Magistrate Andrew Eckhold noted that the girl, who can not be named, appeared to be"severely unwell" and was taking "an extraordinary number of medications" when the case was mentioned in Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday. "Depending on what the mental health issues are, and if there is any psychiatric evidence, it then becomes a question of whether they (the defence) can raise the mental health defenses to murder, of which there are two - the mental illness defense or the defense of substantial impairment by mental abnormality, which is only available to murder, and would reduce murder to manslaughter if it was successful," Professor Anderson said. Ultimately, the case will be determined in the NSW Supreme Court. Newcastle-based lawyer Drew Hamilton said he believed that, given the recent push by NSW Chief Justice Andrew Bell to bring justice to the regions, there was a fair chance a future trial would be held in Newcastle. Specialist resources will also have to be provided to ensure the girl is appropriately represented. "As a Chinese foreign national and young person, she would be considered extremely vulnerable," Mr Hamilton said. "She would need additional assistance from an experienced legal team, qualified interpreters, juvenile justice officers and allied health professionals. If found guilty, further questions would arise as to whether the girl would serve her sentence in Australia or whether she could be transferred to China. "Australia does have prisoner exchange programs with certain countries, but I think it would go over to the Foreign Minister. That would bring in very different types of negotiations," Professor Anderson said. The prosecution of a 13-year-old Chinese girl for the stabbing murder of a fellow exchange student at Lake Macquarie will present extraordinary challenges for the state's justice system. The prosecution of a child, who is also a foreign national, for murder is believed to be unprecedented in Australian legal circles. "There are certainly examples of children being prosecuted for murder, but I have never heard of a Chinese girl in a situation like this. It's quite extraordinary," Professor John Anderson from the University of Newcastle's School of Law and Justice said. Australia's youngest killer, known as SLD, was convicted of killing three-year-old Courtney Morley-Clarke on the Central Coast in 2001 when he was just 13. He was released from prison in March this year after serving 22 years in custody. For children over the age of 10 and under the age of 14, the common law presumption of doli incapax (incapable of wrong) applies to criminal offences - that is, children do not possess the necessary criminal intent to be held responsible for their actions. This means the law presumes they cannot distinguish between right and wrong in a way that would make them legally culpable for a crime. This can be rebutted by the prosecution if it can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the child understood their actions were seriously wrong. "If you look at the James Bulger case in England, those boys were 10 and 11 when they were prosecuted. There was a doli incapax argument raised in that case, but it was overcome," Professor Anderson said. "Prosecuting a 13-year-old does raise lots of other issues in the criminal system in terms of establishing criminal responsibility, but it's not impossible. Certainly, a 13-year-old can be criminally responsible. In addition to her age and nationality, the girl's fitness will be a further complication for prosecutors. Magistrate Andrew Eckhold noted that the girl, who can not be named, appeared to be"severely unwell" and was taking "an extraordinary number of medications" when the case was mentioned in Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday. "Depending on what the mental health issues are, and if there is any psychiatric evidence, it then becomes a question of whether they (the defence) can raise the mental health defenses to murder, of which there are two - the mental illness defense or the defense of substantial impairment by mental abnormality, which is only available to murder, and would reduce murder to manslaughter if it was successful," Professor Anderson said. Ultimately, the case will be determined in the NSW Supreme Court. Newcastle-based lawyer Drew Hamilton said he believed that, given the recent push by NSW Chief Justice Andrew Bell to bring justice to the regions, there was a fair chance a future trial would be held in Newcastle. Specialist resources will also have to be provided to ensure the girl is appropriately represented. "As a Chinese foreign national and young person, she would be considered extremely vulnerable," Mr Hamilton said. "She would need additional assistance from an experienced legal team, qualified interpreters, juvenile justice officers and allied health professionals. If found guilty, further questions would arise as to whether the girl would serve her sentence in Australia or whether she could be transferred to China. "Australia does have prisoner exchange programs with certain countries, but I think it would go over to the Foreign Minister. That would bring in very different types of negotiations," Professor Anderson said.
7NEWS
14 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Student exchange organisation speaks out after Chinese teenager allegedly murdered in NSW's Edgeworth
A student exchange organisation has spoken out after a teenage girl visiting Australia on a cultural program from China was allegedly murdered by a fellow pupil. Two girls, aged 13 and 14, were staying with a host family in Edgeworth, in Newcastle's west, when the older teenager was allegedly stabbed in the torso about 10.20pm on Monday. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Tragedy strikes Chinese exchange students in Newcastle home. She was rushed to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition, but later died from her injuries. The 13-year-old was arrested at the scene and charged with murder on Tuesday. Council of Australian Student Exchange Organisations (CASEO) issued a statement on Wednesday expressing its 'heartfelt condolences' to the family, friends and community affected by the incident. CASEO also revealed the two teenage girls were not participating in a student exchange program, but rather a 'study abroad program'. 'While both involve international students studying overseas, there are important legal and operational distinctions in NSW,' CASEO said. 'Under NSW Guidelines, a secondary student exchange program is a reciprocal arrangement between registered non-profit exchange organisations. These programs require placement in a host family and school enrolment for between three months (one school term) and one year, and participation is strictly regulated via the AASES and subclass visa process. 'In contrast, study abroad programs generally involve full-fee paying students enrolled for short-term study (3-12 months) without the reciprocal or formal exchange structure.' CASEO said the NSW Government only regulates student exchange programs for more than 12 weeks duration or more than 10 weeks in school, while study abroad programs fall outside this regulatory remit. 'CASEO deeply values the safety and welfare of all young people engaging in student exchange programs or any type of cultural programs,' the organisation's statement continued. 'Although the affected students were not under an exchange arrangement governed by CASEO's member organisation, we offer our deepest sympathies at this difficult time.' The new details come as the 13-year-old's matter was heard in Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday. She was not required to appear, but the court heard the girl was 'severely unwell' and on an 'extraordinary number of medications' for someone her age, the Newcastle Herald reports. Magistrate Andrew Eckhold noted the case had a 'clear mental health nexus' but it was a 'very serious charge'. The girl did not apply for bail and it was refused. The teen will remain in the juvenile justice system, which the court heard is well-resourced and highly sensitive to mental health issues. NSW Police on Tuesday said both girls were part of the same cultural exchange program from China and staying with the same host family. It is understood the pair had retired to their separate rooms when the host mother heard a commotion and went to check, finding the injured girl. Police seized a kitchen knife from the scene, believed to have been taken from a drawer. Both girls were meant to attend a local school and visit sites around the Hunter area, Superintendent Tracy Chapman told reporters on Tuesday. They arrived in Australia eight days ago and were expected to leave on August 16. Police believe the girls did not know each other before arriving and only became acquainted through the program. They were staying with a host family consisting of a man and a woman in their 50s. No other people were in the house that night. Police are still trying to determine the nature of the relationship between the two girls. 'Obviously extensive inquiries with other students, teachers, parents and the hosts, of course, to establish what the relationship was prior to last night,' Chapman said. She added that the investigation may take longer due to language barriers and the girls not being Australian residents. 'Investigation with young girls involved language barriers, working through the consulate, (and) they're not Australian residents, obviously,' she said. 'So there are obvious complications and complexities with that, which is why it's taken us some time to work through.' The 13-year-old girl is due to face court again in October with a Mandarin interpreter. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
