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Woman Does Time - But Others Go Free Legal Records Hide Facts By Bruce Grundy (12.10.03) A young woman was released from prison in Brisbane last week after serving eight months for what the court record suggests was a breach-of-bail matter several years ago. The court file contains a copy of an arrest warrant signed by a District Court judge relating to her failure to appear in connection with an alleged offence. The file also notes that at the time she appeared in court to be dealt with by a magistrate over the bail breach, no application was made on her behalf for bail. However, the court record in no way accurately reflects what actually took place in court that day. It does not record, for instance, that a month before her appearance in the magistrates court, a Corrective Services Commission warrant for her immediate arrest and return to custody had been taken out against her for a parole breach five years earlier. The parole breach warrant had been signed by Brisbane magistrate Noel Nunan on 23 December 2002. Three weeks earlier the government had been advised the woman had filed a claim for compensation and damages against the State over a matter of assault, sexual assault and rape. The offences against her had allegedly taken place while she was held in custody in Brisbane's John Oxley Youth Detention Centre (see story: Alleged Victim Sues State) In late Janaury the woman, who had been living interstate, returned to Queensland at the request of her lawyers to undergo psychiatric examination and assessment in connection with her claim. She was detained by local police on 31 January. (The circumstances of this matter cannot be discussed as they will be dealt with in court later this month). The woman then appeared in the local magistrates court on 3 February where the Correctives Services Arrest Warrant was presented (see stories: What They Did To A Girl In Care and What They Did To A Girl In Care 2). However, unlike the District Court warrant, the Corrective Services warrant provides no opportunity for bail. The woman was returned to custody immediately and served eight months. She was released on Wednesday. To date no one has ever been punished for the things that were done to her. (Any relationship between what happened in the court concerned on 3 February 2003 and what is contained in the file on that matter could best be described as coincidental). Top 1698 page visits Content Management Software 2010