Maira Cappiello came to Australia for a better life. Then, she was sexually assaulted by a 10-year-old boy
By Cloe Read
Maira Cappiello came to Australia for a better life.
Maira Cappiello has been living in Cairns on and off for about two years.
But as the 24-year-old Italian student walked down a busy street in Cairns in Far North Queensland, her opinion of that life changed.
Cappiello would end up traumatised, bruised, and fearful to ever step into the area again.
It was 10am on Wednesday. People were busy walking through Lake and Shields streets in the city’s CBD.
“I was walking pretty slow because I was messaging,” Cappiello recalls. “Then I could feel a pinch. I was wearing a skirt ... now of course I’m scared to wear it.
“I could feel a pinch on my bum, under the skirt, on my skin.
“I thought, what’s happening. I got angry and scared.”
Cappiello says she then saw a young boy nearby laughing. She confronted him, she says, telling the boy his behaviour was not acceptable.
“I said, ‘listen, that’s not acceptable, do not dare do something like that to anyone because that’s not acceptable’.”
Cappiello says she gave the boy the opportunity to apologise. But he continued to laugh.
“I got even more angry. And in the meantime, two girls interfered in the conversation and started spitting on me and started threatening me.”
The situation escalated, and Cappiello says she called police.
“I realised that I was in danger. I got a bit further from them. I saw two policemen walking past a couple minutes before, and I thought of going to them. Then I realised this group of kids were following me, and throwing stuff, like bottles full of Coke.”
Police told Cappiello to go into a shop and wait for them, she says.
“But I didn’t want to hide from a group of kids who were assaulting me. I didn’t want to show them that we are scared of them. Even though I knew it was a dangerous situation.
“I wanted to give them the message that I am not scared. I am not doing anything wrong. You touched me, you assaulted me, so you are the one who has to hide, not me.”
Cappiello says once they realised police were being called, she says she was punched for about five minutes.
“No one helped. I was trying to look for help ... thank God, two big men walked by and they just stopped the boy and girls from punching me, they were going at my face, nose, lips and teeth.”
Cappiello suffered bruising to her face and head, police said.
Police arrived quickly, Cappiello says. She commended the police for their response and the help they provided in the aftermath, including how officers have called to check on her.
The 10-year-old boy was charged with sexual assault, common assault, and assault occasioning bodily harm while in company.
Detective Inspector Kevin Goan on Friday confirmed the 10-year-old boy had since been dealt with under the restorative youth justice legislation. The process generally involves the child undergoing a meeting with a victim or those affected by the crime, and aims to address the impact on society and prevent reoffending.
Another three juveniles, two 13-year-old girls and a 14-year-old boy, are still under investigation.
Goan said now there would be multiple agencies working to ensure there would not be future incidents.
“I think it’s important for people to understand that where we have a child of such a young age and heading towards the justice system with serious criminal offending, that there is a lot of work that will now happen across multiple agencies,” he said.
But Cappiello says locals in the area are concerned and scared about rising juvenile crime, and a perception that no one can prevent the problem.
She says while the incident terrified her, she felt compelled to speak out to seek change.
“I’ve lived here long enough to know that everyone is so sick of it,” she says.
“You come here for a better life. You don’t come here to lose it. Tourists might be scared to come now.”
Cappiello raised how her former workplace, a restaurant where her partner still works, was broken into by other offenders.
“Now the company is paying for security guards to work outside at nighttime. That’s not acceptable.”
Cappiello says a major concern she had was fear for her visa, and ruining the sacrifices she had made over five years of living in Australia. Both Cappiello, and her partner, also on a visa, wish to leave Cairns, and go to a larger city, where they would feel better protected, but she says they are limited given their work sponsorship conditions.
“We are not safe here any more. I don’t feel safe. I’m scared to go out. I’m scared to wear a skirt.
“I’m in pain, I’m sore everywhere.
“I feel very blessed that I can talk today, even though I’m sore, and if I can talk, then I have to.
“We can’t just keep being scared because the law doesn’t protect us.”
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). You can phone the Sexual Assault Helpline on 1800 010 120 (7.30am to 11.30pm, 7 days a week).