The guardian of a 17-year-old boy is expected to be charged with allegedly orchestrating him being bashed, tortured and dumped in bushland.
The teenager was found by passer-by walking along Cape Pallarenda Rd in Townsville about 6.35am on Saturday, July 18.
He was rushed to hospital with serious injuries but is now recovering after needing surgery to repair numerous fractures.
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Police allege he was assaulted at a property in nearby Heatley before being wrapped in plastic so tightly he was unable to move, loaded into a car and dumped
Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles told reporters on Friday the teenager was believed to have been abandoned at least five hours before he was found.
“He was wrapped, not head to toe, but in a significant amount of plastic, such that he wasn’t able to move. He was bound in such a way that he couldn’t move,” Miles said.
The car allegedly used to transport the teenager was found soon afterwards after it crashed, with investigators locating what police described as “significant items” linking the two incidents.
Six days after the incident, a 13-year-old boy was arrested and charged with four offences including torture and grievous bodily harm.
A 35-year-old woman and a 14-year-old girl were also arrested days later. The woman was charged with five offences, including torture and grievous bodily harm, while the girl was dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.
Seven more people were taken into custody on Friday — two 14-year-old boys, two men aged 30 and 34, and three women aged 32, 36 and 40 — all of whom are expected to be charged with grievous bodily harm and torture.
Three people have been charged and seven more in custody after a 17-year-old boy was allegedly tortured and abandoned off a walking trail in Townsville. Credit: Google Maps 7NEWS understands the 40-year-old woman was the teenager’s guardian and is alleged to have orchestrated the attack.
Miles said the attack was not random but had been “orchestrated by a cohort of individuals”, assuring the public it appeared to be an isolated incident.
“There was some animosity in relation to him,” he said.
“Certainly it’s concerning, from our perspective, the level of violence that was used and the way in which this young person was left … but it is not something that is widespread in the community.
Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles described one of those in custody, a 40-year-old woman, as a maternal figure to the alleged victim. Credit: 7NEWS “Grievous bodily harm is a significant injury, potential to cause permanent injury or death,” he said.
“Torture is also a very significant charge and something that we thankfully don’t see a lot of.”
Six of the seven in custody will appear before Townsville Magistrates Court on Saturday, with one minor expected to be bailed and appear in court at a later date.
Investigations into the incident remain ongoing and anyone with information has been urged to contact police.