Australia PM 'Disgusted' by Rape Case

Nine men and teens in Australia who raped a 10-year-old girl from a remote Aboriginal community have gone free, a verdict that has caused an uproar in the nation. Six of those who pleaded guilty were under 17 and got probation; the others got suspended sentences. New PM Kevin Rudd said he was "disgusted and appalled." The prosecutor described the sex as consensual "childish experimentation," reports the Australian.

The prosecutor did not seek jail sentences because of the males' ages and the possibility that the girl agreed to meet them for sex. “Although she was very young, she knew what was going on," he said. The girl's rape occurred after social services returned her to the indigenous community she had previously left. (More Australia stories.)