A man from a remote Northern Territory community has been jailed for the rape of his 10-year-old stepdaughter, whom he had told he was protecting from black magic that would kill her.
The assault is the latest unusual event on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria, where black magic is widely believed by indigenous people. A school on the island was recently closed for almost two weeks after it was placed under a curse.
The man, 30, who pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 16, was jailed for six years and nine months and will be eligible for parole in four years and nine months.
The man spoke about black magic to the girl's mother and siblings and stated someone was going to kill her and the victim, Justice Anthony Graham said in sentencing him in the Supreme Court in Darwin.
"He then he said, 'I will take (the girl) to the room because someone is going to kill her'," he said in sentencing remarks released on Wednesday.
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"I'm taking her to the room and I'm going to rub her in my sweat, which will protect her from the black magic."
He then climbed on top of her and raped her.
On another occasion, he told the girl's brother to go to sleep, took the victim by the hand and into the shower after she refused to go with him and raped her.
He then told her not to tell anyone.
Crown prosecutor Matthew Nathan said the mother had said her daughter had changed and refused to talk about the matter.
The girl's mother has a two-year-old child with the offender.
Sexual assaults against children were regarded as abhorrent and the long-term effects were now better recognised and understood, Justice Graham said.
"Punishment is an important factor. The community must realise and they in fact expect that these offences are grave and any punishment that is given must be of a significant nature," he said.
The offender had never worked, had poor literacy and a long criminal background that included being jailed at least nine times.
Groote Eylandt is relatively well-off due to it hosting one of the world's largest manganese mines.
The Angurugu School reopened this week following meetings between the board of the Anindilyakwa Land Council and men from the community over the curse.
