Community rally behind mum of kids in cable-ties incident

People from around the country have rallied to support the single mum of two young children who had their wrists cable-tied in a Broome incident that made international news this week. A Brisbane-based Indigenous business, Dreamtime Aroha, raised $14,680.00 for the family after a confronting video of three children with their hands bound, sobbing as they leaned against a garage door, went viral. The children had jumped the fence of a property to swim in a pool there, when they were caught and shackled as one of the home’s occupants waited for police to arrive. Dreamtime Aroha thanked everyone who had chipped in money. “The funds will help the family relocate and will lessen the financial burden placed on this single mum,” it posted on its Facebook page on Friday. Some of the money had also been used to buy a backyard pool set for the mum’s two children, a six-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy. The mum, Rowena, was deeply moved by the generosity and messages of support. Photos were posted of the kids with beaming smiles. “Amazing support from the community towards this beautiful family. Good to see the kind hearts of good people that still do exist. Hope the beautiful little darlings and the mum enjoy,” Kodda Riley posted. “Stunning smiles. Well done Dreamtime Aroha and supporters for turning this around. These kids will never forget the trauma inflicted on them, but hopefully, they always remember the kindness,” Tahne Allen added. A 45-year-old Broome man was charged with three counts of aggravated assault for allegedly restraining the young kids. Police allege the force the man used to restrain the children “was not proportionate in the circumstances” after they were called to a “trespassing incident” at the property about 2.15pm on Tuesday. The accused on Wednesday told media that he “probably should’ve walked away” but said the recent incident was the sixth time someone had trespassed on the property in the past three months. The incident had sparked a big debate about youth crime in the Kimberley town. On Friday, WA Police stressed that the community was remaining calm after the incident, as the region’s most senior cop went on social media on Thursday and thanked Broome residents for their support. Supt Steve Thompson said he was confident the good working relationship his officers had with the Broome community would continue. “Today, I want to thank you all. Broome has been in the spotlight over recent days after a confronting incident in Cable Beach,” he said in his message. “I recognise that this incident has caused significant community concern and discussion. I won’t dwell on that incident as matters are now before the courts, but I want to thank you all for remaining calm in the wake of the incident. My officers — who both work and live in this amazing location — enjoy a positive relationship with the community they serve and I’m confident that will continue.”