A family has been left horrified after a 13-year-old girl was allegedly lured to a Sunshine Coast home and tortured for five hours.
Queensland Police confirmed on Wednesday afternoon three girls had been charged over the incident, which involved the victim being tied up, knifed, burnt and hit with bottles in sickening footage shared on social media.
The Courier-Mail reported the girl’s face was “unrecognisable” after the attack, and she was forced to spend a week in the hospital, suffering from a stab wound to the knee, a fractured wrist and severe swelling.
The family is now in hiding at an Airbnb due to fear for their safety.
“Her face was swollen to a degree that you couldn’t recognise her … it looked like her head was going to explode,” the girl’s mother told the newspaper.
The mum said her daughter “should be dead” after the attack.
After the incident, the alleged attackers showered the victim and threatened her not to tell anyone, including her family.
Despite being fearful of the attackers, the victim tried to defend them by saying they saved her life, but her mother suspected something was amiss.
Horrific video of the attack circulating on social media shows the victim, her face bloodied and bruised, being slapped and hit by another girl while a second attacker jabs at her with a large kitchen knife.
A third girl can be heard laughing as she films.
At one point as the victim tries to leave, the girl holding the knife grabs her by the hair and pulls her back into the room.
In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Queensland Police said three girls had been charged following investigations into an incident at home in Tewantin earlier this month.
“Police will allege on Saturday March 11, a 13-year-old girl was invited into a home where she was subsequently prevented from leaving and filmed whilst being assaulted, taunted and cut with a knife over the period of several hours,” police said.
On March 13, three girls aged 12, 13 and 14 were charged.
“The 14-year-old was charged with four counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed in company, deprivation of liberty, enter dwelling and commit indictable offence, armed robbery whilst in company used personal violence, enter premises and commit indictable offence and wilful damage. She was remanded in custody and is due to face Maroochydore Childrens Court again next month,” police said.
“The 13-year-old was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed in company, deprivation of liberty, armed robbery whilst in company used personal violence, enter dwelling and commit indictable offence, common assault and unauthorised dealing with shop goods. She is due to reappear in Maroochydore Childrens Court later this month.
“The 12-year-old was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed in company, deprivation of liberty, armed robbery in company with personal violence, enter dwelling and commit indictable offence and unauthorised dealing with shop goods. She is due to reappear in Maroochydore Childrens Court later this month.”
Queensland Police say investigations are ongoing.