Two children have been charged after the alleged assault of a 77-year-old woman at her Redlynch house overnight that Police have described as “abhorrent”.
Police say that just after midnight, four children approached the woman’s Perseverance Street home. They say when she answered the door, she was allegedly knocked over as the group entered her house.
“They allegedly threatened her with a knife and demanded keys to her car. The group then drove off in her Subaru Forester,” Queensland Police said in a statement.
Officers located the woman’s car at the Esplanade and arrested three girls and a boy nearby at around 3am this morning.
“(She is) clearly shaken by the events that have occurred to her,” Acting Detective Inspector Kevin Goan told media this morning.
“There’s an element of planning to it. One of the offenders was armed with a knife and obviously a very concerning incident that has unfolded in that lady’s home. We say the behaviour of these young people is abhorrent.”
A 13-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl have each been charged with enter dwelling with intent, assault occasioning bodily harm, serious assault of a person over 60, armed robbery and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
The 13-year-old boy was refused police bail while the 15-year-old girl was granted bail. Both are scheduled to appear in Cairns Childrens Court. Two other girls, aged 13 and 14, are continuing to assist police with their enquiries.
The woman suffered an arm and head injury in the attack and is being treated in hospital.