Girl gives birth to a child after she was raped as a 12-year-old by a Queensland man in 2023
Police will allege Iosefo Lui raped the 12-year-old girl in Townsville, in north-east Queensland, in 2023.
She allegedly carried the baby to term before giving birth in September last year.
He was extradited from Sydney to Townsville on Thursday after allegedly fleeing across the border.
His extradition was approved in Mount Druitt Magistrate's Court, in Sydney's west, on Thursday.
Lui was taken into custody by NSW Police after Queensland Police issued a warrant for his arrest following investigations.
He was charged with three counts of rape and one count of indecent treatment against a minor.
He was seen in Sydney Airport, handcuffed and flanked by Australian Federal Police officers on Thursday night, the Courier Mail reported.
Queensland Police Minister Dan Purdie told the newspaper the allegations were 'deplorable'.
'Our children are our most precious gifts and they need to be protected,' he said.
Lui's case was mentioned in Townsville Magistrates Court on Friday where no bail application was made.
Magistrate Steven Mosch ordered the charges be adjourned for a committal mention to September 9.
Lui will not be required to attend.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Aussie is paid $3.5MILLION direct to his bank account by the government - here's how his life unraveled after he was seen withdrawing money from ATMs
An Aussie father who was wrongly paid $3.5million by a government agency has been exposed as an alleged scammer, after an eight-month investigation uncovered several crucial mistakes. Saif Nafel, 38, from Lurnea in south-west Sydney, emailed an NT government agency last November, allegedly purporting to be a contractor from a construction company it was engaging with for an Aboriginal housing project. The construction company was NT-based Bukmak Constructions, which bills the government $3m a month over five years to build 87 homes. Nafel allegedly provided a completed vendor identification form with updated bank details. Multiple employees who appeared to work at the construction company were CC'd in on the email. Nafel then allegedly registered the business, Bukmak Construction Group, to closely resemble the legitimate contractor, and opened a bank account to receive the fraudulently obtained funds. The government agency then paid $3,583,363 to Nafel's alleged bank account, believing it was linked to the legitimate construction company. An AFP investigation was launched days later, when banking giant ANZ noticed a number of suspicious transfers. The phone number linked to the vendor identification form eventually led investigators to the alleged fraudster almost 4,000km away in Sydney. Nafel was allegedly captured multiple times on CCTV lining up at an ATM to withdraw cash from his bank account. The alleged scheme finally came to a dramatic end when police raided Nafel's home last Wednesday. Electronic devices and documents relating to the registration of the fake company were seized during the search warrant. Nafel was charged with one count of dealing with proceeds of crime worth $1 million or more. He appeared in Liverpool Local Court last Thursday, where he was granted bail to reappear in court in September. Nafel faces up to 12 years behind bars if convicted. Fortunately for the government agency, all but $11,603 of the allegedly stolen funds have been recovered, thanks to ANZ's efforts. Business email compromise and fraud were among the most common self-reported cybercrimes for Australian businesses and individuals in 2023-24, according to the AFP. 'It is crucial to double check emails, particularly if there is a request for a change in banking details,' Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said. 'Call the party you are engaged with to confirm the request is legitimate – and use a phone number that you've previously used or independently verified – don't call a number in the suspicious email. 'If you have fallen victim, report it immediately to your bank and the police to give us the best chance of recovering your money.' ANZ's Milan Gigovic added: 'In response to this growing threat, ANZ's Financial Crime team is proactively collaborating with industry, government, and law enforcement agencies — including the Australian Federal Police's JPC3 team — to detect and stop these scams before they cause harm.' 'Together, we are strengthening our defences, preventing fraudulent payments and protecting Australian businesses.' Nafel will appear in Campbelltown Local Court on September 17.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Brynmill murder charge as man dies in Swansea
A man has been charged with murder following the death of a 65-year-old man in Swansea. Police were called to an alleged assault and an unconscious man outside The Mill pub on Brynymor Road, Brynmill in Swansea at around 20.15 BST on 65-year-old man was taken to Morriston Hospital where he died on Sunday. His next of kin has been informed and are being supported, South Wales Police Vonks, 50, from Swansea, has been charged with murder and is due to appear at Swansea Magistrates' Court on Monday.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Labor and Coalition want convicted rapist Gareth Ward expelled from NSW parliament
Moves are afoot to expel the MP for Kiama, Gareth Ward, from the New South Wales parliament after he was convicted of serious sexual offences involving two young men. State parliament sits next week and Ward has not yet said whether he intends to appeal Friday's convictions. The MP has also not indicated whether he might resign from parliament and did not respond to questions from Guardian Australia. Ward was granted bail ahead of a hearing on Wednesday, when the prosecution will seek to have him taken into custody ahead of his sentencing. A date for that is due to be set on Wednesday. The 44-year-old stood trial in the NSW district court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges. Several politicians have been convicted of 'an infamous crime' or a crime that carries a sentence of five years or more – which is the threshold that disqualifies a person from sitting in the NSW parliament. Most have chosen to resign when they have been charged and were well out of parliament by the time they were convicted. So the question of how lodging an appeal – or winning an appeal – might affect an MPs right to sit in the parliament has rarely arisen. Both major parties are hoping that Ward will choose to resign from parliament and the matter is resolved quickly. But Ward has, to date, shown little inclination to end his own political career. In 2021, Ward left the Liberal party and moved to the crossbench after identifying himself as the state MP under investigation by the child abuse and sex crimes squad of the NSW police force. When charges were laid in March 2022, then NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet called for his resignation. On 24 March 2022, Ward was suspended after a motion unanimously passed the Legislative Assembly. In mid-August 2022, Ward was committed to stand trial. But Ward's voters in the south coast state seat of Kiama re-elected him in March 2023 and he returned to Macquarie Street. The Minns government believes Ward should not sit in parliament now he is convicted of serious crimes and that seniment is echoed by the opposition. The premier, Chris Minns, said on Monday that Ward should resign or he would move a motion to expel him. Minns stressed Ward was convicted of 'incredibly serious charges' relating to 'multiple accusers.' 'He should resign,' the premier told reporters. 'It is completely ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been, not just accused, not just charged, but convicted of incredibly serious sexual assault convictions and stay as a member of parliament. 'You name me one workplace in the whole world where that person would continue as an employee, facing that kind of jail time.' Minns said he had sought legal advice from the NSW cabinet office and believed expulsion was an option. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion But it's not straightforward. The expulsion cannot be 'punitive' but must be founded on protecting the integrity of the NSW parliament. That will mean establishing that Ward's conduct brings the house into disrepute and that he cannot adequately perform his duties – which would be easier to argue if he was incarcerated. 'It seems ridiculous that he could stay as a member of parliament. Steps need to be taken,' Minns said. He said it was 'untenable' for Ward to remain the MP for Kiama. Minns does not have a majority in the Legislative Assembly so would need the opposition or crossbenchers to gain the bare majority needed to pass an expulsion motion. The opposition leader, Mark Speakman, has said he would support an expulsion motion, subject to seeing the government's legal advice. 'The jury finding is about behaviour that is sickening,' Speakman told reporters on Monday. 'He should not be in parliament; his position is untenable. There is no way he can effectively represent his constituents. He should resign, and if he doesn't, parliament must take all the steps it can to protect its integrity.' Ward could alternatively be suspended or granted leave but both options would result in the convicted rapist continuing to receive his parliamentary salary and entitlements until he resigned, the next election was held in March 2027 or all appeals were finalised. These alternatives would prevent a by-election from being held. An expulsion or suspension could be challenged in the courts. There have been only a handful of cases challenging orders of parliament but, as constitutional expert Anne Twomey has said, courts have expressed wariness when it comes to expelling MPs. The situation would be complicated further if Ward appeals. Ward has 28 days to lodge any appeal. The appeal process itself would likely be lengthy, and if Ward was expelled, he would challenge that decision in the courts. Of course, there will be practical problems for Ward continuing in parliament if he is jailed pending any appeal. He couldn't attend parliament or effectively represent his constituents.
