FEATURE: A Warning To Anyone Considering A Backpacking Trip To Australia
Backpacking in Australia is a rite of passage for many young Irish people. Who could resist the endless summers, beaches, good times and great craic? Well, this cautionary tale could make you think twice: a 22-year-old British backpacker was found by police after allegedly being held captive and repeatedly raped for two months in a remote part of Australia.
The young woman was found when police pulled over the car she was driving in outback Queensland. Expecting to arrest her for failing to pay for the petrol she just stole, what they found was far worse. Clearly shaken, she told officers she had been held captive by a man she had met at a party in Cairns, reports the Irish Examiner.
The alleged captor was found under clothes in the back of the car, and it's believed the two were in a relationship before things took a horrific turn.
Detective Inspector Paul Hart told a press conference on Tuesday: "Police were really just attending a routine job in relation to a driver that was unable to pay for petrol."
"She advised that over a period of weeks she had been held against her will by the male person located in the vehicle," the officer said.
"It was established they had previously had a relationship but at some point it had soured and he basically deprived her of her liberty and committed a number of offences against her as they travelled around the state.
"We have potentially saved this young girl's life. Given what's happened to her, the extent of what's happened over the period of time, anything might have transpired".
She is now being treated for her injuries and awaiting a new passport after hers was destroyed in the ordeal.
The suspect was later charged with four counts of rape, eight counts of assault and four counts of strangulation, as well as two counts of deprivation of liberty, two counts of wilful damage, one count of possessing dangerous drugs, one count of possessing drug utensils and one count of obstructing police.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time a backpacker has been seriously injured or murdered in the Australian outback; two 21-year-old and 30-year-old British backpackers were murdered in rural Queensland last year whilst doing farm work. And earlier this year an Irish backpacker received a payout after a horrific accident on a Victorian farm caused her to lose hair and part of her ear.
Late last year a two-year inquiry was released by Fair Work Australia into backpacker exploitation, revealing tourists completing 88 mandatory days of farm work were working in 40-degree heat without enough water or training. According to News.com.au, some even had their passports taken away, employers refusing to sign off days worked, and workers were often underpaid or not paid at all.
Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James said,“The Inquiry findings show that while many 417 visa-holders who work in Australia have a positive experience, many are being subjected to underpayment or non-payment, unlawful deductions, sexual harassment, unsafe working conditions and other forms of exploitation".
You also don't necessarily have to work in very remote areas of Australia - you can actually work within 15km of a major city if you're lucky.
It all serves as a warning to be very careful when selecting a place to do your farm work, should you decide to stay in Australia longer than 12 months. Also, use your instincts when accepting lifts from people in rural locations, and always do your research into a farm before accepting a job offer.
Do you know anyone who has had a bad experience in Australia during their farm work?