PERTH - A Perth magistrate has angrily hit out at Aboriginal elders he said have been taking advantage of their "mystical" status in their communities to sexually abuse children for 20 years.
Magistrate Paul Heaney's outburst came during an unsuccessful bail application by two men from the remoteWest Australian Kimberley community of Kalumburu, accused of multiple sex offences against young girls.
Matthew Charles Waina, 42, and his brother Bruno Waina, 34, appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court today, via video link from Hakea prison.
Their lawyer Jim Sutherland started to apply for bail for Bruno Waina, when Mr Heaney interrupted.
"These are very, very serious charges and I think they ought to remain in custody," Mr Heaney said.
"The wrong message will get out, particularly to these young girls in Kalumburu, if these men are released.
"We're talking here about young girls who have been succumbing to these sexual advances from these senior people in the community because they're too scared to do otherwise.
"The only protection they have is for the men to remain in custody so the girls feel confident and free to come to court and give evidence."
Mr Sutherland said he would not continue the bail application, but Mr Heaney had not finished.
"Anyone who has been up there knows, senior people like Waina, senior people in these communities - young people think they have mythical powers," he said.
"That's why these elderly people have been able to deal with 13-year-old girls for so long and get away with it.
"That's why this caper has been going on for 20 years or longer, because young people think they have mystical qualities."
Matthew Waina is charged with four counts of indecently dealing with a child and seven counts of sexually penetrating a child.
Yesterday, a police prosecutor told the court Waina had allegedly lured two girls aged 11 and 14 to his bedroom with the promise of cigarettes, showed them a pornographic DVD and then had sex with them.
Bruno Waina faces 12 counts of sexually penetrating a child, five of indecently dealing with a child and two counts of showing offensive material to a child.
The brothers have been remanded in custody to reappear in the Perth Magistrates Court on August 3.
Twelve people from Kalumburu have been charged with child sex offences.
