11-year-Old Takes Own Life After Alleged Rapist Goes Scot-Free

Blame it on Australia’s floundering criminal justice system; an 11-year-old girl from the country’s arid outback has taken her own life, just weeks after her alleged rapist was freed on bail.

An indigenous girl, Annaliesse Ugle succumbed to self-inflicted injuries on Tuesday at Perth Children's Hospital, a day after she was airlifted to the hospital from her home in rural Western Australia.

The Year 6 student’s alleged rapist, a 66-year-old man, was accused of abusing her between 2014-2020.

Although he was arrested in mid-September and charged with four counts of sexually penetrating a child under the age of 13 and six of indecently dealing with a child under 13, the man was let off on bail the same day.

“My daughter thought that he was going to hurt her and she was frightened. She didn’t want to live in that town. She didn’t want to be there," said her mother to WAtoday.

Her mother said her daughter was scared to even go out and play and that she herself wouldn’t let her kids play outside without supervision.

WA Police Assistant Commissioner of Regional WA, Jo McCabe said to the outlet on Wednesday that police should not have released the alleged accused on bail.

Meanwhile, National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project director Gerry ­Georgatos observed that “so many failures” had occurred to culminate in this tragic loss.

Gerry, along with his colleague, Megan Krakouer is supporting the girl’s family in fighting the cause. They believe that there needs to be tougher laws to deny bail to repeated child abusers.

“When you've got an alleged offender, who's offended more than one time, then there should be no possibility of bail," Gerry told WAtoday.

“He walked free, while my girl sat back worrying all the time, whether he’s going to come and get her,” said Annaliesse’s mother to 7 news.

While the family lives in grief and is completely devastated, the alleged abuser is still on bail.