A 10-year-old boy and three other juveniles have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the sexual assault of a 23-year-old woman in the Australian city of Cairns, authorities said Wednesday.
The victim, an Italian tourist, was walking in the city center around 10 a.m. local time, on Wednesday when the alleged assault occurred.
When she called police to report the incident, she was allegedly attacked by several other juveniles, Det. Insp. Kevin Goan, said, according to The Guardian.
The woman reportedly suffered minor bruises on her face but didn’t require hospitalization.
Four juveniles, including the 10-year-old were later arrested, police said.
The incident was certainly “a traumatic experience for the young lady,” Goan said, slamming the young age of the alleged attackers as “abhorrent,” according to the Cairns Post.
“[An experience] we certainly hope won’t blemish her experience of touring in Far North Queensland,” in the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland, he added.
Cairns, a popular tourist destination, is home to the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics World Heritage Rainforest.