Mareeba, Queensland: Small Aussie town on the brink as migrant fruit picker is charged with raping a teenage girl: ‘Totally shocked by this’
A fruit picker from Vanuatu living in Australia on a foreign worker visa has been accused of raping a teenage girl in tropical Far North Queensland.
Claude Kalo is alleged to have raped the girl in Mareeba, a town of about 12,000 people about 65km southwest of Cairns on the Atherton Tablelands.
The 31-year-old, who was staying in nearby Dimbulah, appeared at Atherton Magistrates Court on March 7 when he was taken into custody.
He has been charged with rape, assault with intent to commit rape and indecent treatment of a child under 16.
Vanuatuan fruit picker Claude Kalo (above) has been accused of raping a teenage girl while on a seasonal foreign worker visa in tropical Far North Queensland
Kalo is a fitness fanatic who once represented Vanuatu in judo and previously lived in the Northern Rivers region of NSW.
He is the second foreign fruit picker to be accused of rape while working in Australia in the past two months.
Daily Mail Australia contacted five members of Mareeba Shire Council, including Mayor Angela Toppin, and none had heard of the alleged rape in their town.
Councilor Locky Bensted said he was shocked to hear of the allegation, which he expected would rock the community once it became public.
“There are many extended families who have called Mareeba home for generations,” he said. ‘They will be completely shocked by this, just like me.
‘We are a multicultural farming and business community with more than 77 different cultures all living and staying here.
“The community will be outraged if this comes to light, that’s for sure.”
Councilor Danny Bird said when news of the alleged rape reached the community, “they’re going to go crazy.”
Councilor Mario Mlikota said: “I definitely think there will be anger.”
Kalo is a fitness fanatic who represented Vanuatu in judo and previously lived in the Northern Rivers region of NSW
Another local source said up to 300 workers from Vanuatu lived and worked in the Mareeba region, picking produce including bananas, mangoes and avocados.
Vanuatu’s presence increased as backpackers were unable to travel to the region during the Covid-19 pandemic and farmers turned to the Pacific islands for help.
Most of the Vanuatu workforce is temporarily employed under the Pacific Australia Labor Mobility (PALM) visa program and numbers peak in the summer.
Visa holders often stay on the farms where they work, but some live in shared accommodation in towns such as Mareeba and Dimbulah.
Queensland Police would not provide details about the alleged attack on the teenage girl, including when it occurred.
“Given the age of the (alleged) victim and the fact that this matter will be subject to a closed judicial process, we are not at liberty to provide further information,” a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.
“Ultimately, we see it as our role to protect the identity of any victims, especially if a child is involved.”
Claude Kalo allegedly raped a teenage girl in Mareeba (above), a town of about 12,000 people about 65km south-west of Cairns on the Atherton Tablelands.
The QPS made no media statement at the time about the alleged rape of the girl, the arrest of the man and the charges against him.
“Sometimes you will see us release information in cases where there has been an adult victim, if we believe it is in the public interest or if we believe there are additional victims who may come forward,” the spokeswoman said.
‘But never if there is (an alleged) underage victim.’
The PALM program encourages workers to come to Australia from countries such as Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga and Kiribati, as well as East Timor and Papua New Guinea.
Visa holders can work in Australia for up to nine months within a twelve-month period before returning to their home country, and can return in subsequent years.
A Samoan fruit picker working near Arrawarra on New Zealand’s north coast earlier this year over the alleged rape of a teenage girl. Pickers are pictured near Arrawarra
A Samoan fruit picker working on a PALM visa was arrested on the NSW north coast earlier this year over the alleged rape of a teenage girl.
Police charged 25-year-old Samoan national Agaalofa Agaalofa on January 30 with aggravated assault – deprivation of liberty, as well as aggravated theft.
The teenager reported he was dragged into bushes and raped in broad daylight on November 10 while walking home near Arrawarra Beach.
About 400 foreign workers live close together in Arrawarra and share transport to work the fields Costa Berries has planted in Corindi, about 5 kilometers north.
Arrawarra is also a popular destination for surfers, backpackers and caravan holidaymakers who flock to the village for its idyllic waterfront location.
Locals have complained about cases of drunkenness and aggressive behavior by some seasonal workers, which they say has turned the place into a slum.
After the alleged rape, the migrant workers were removed from the holiday park and sent back to their home country or elsewhere in Australia.
A local Mareeba resident said up to 300 workers from Vanuatu lived and worked on the region’s farms (above), picking produce including bananas, mangoes and avocados
NSW Police did not issue a press release when Agaalofa was charged.
Another Samoan berry picker was initially charged with raping the girl and spent two months in jail before Agaalofa was arrested at Dirty Creek, about 12 kilometers northeast of Arrawarra.
When Agaalofa appeared in court the next day, police prosecutor Jack Chaffey said the DNA test results had “significantly changed” the direction of the investigation.
Agaalofa, who does not speak English, lived at Arrawarra Beach Holiday Park and worked as a blueberry picker at Costa farm.
Sergeant Chaffey told the court that a mobile phone belonging to the teenager was taken during her alleged rape and traced to Agaalofa’s home.
Agaalofa’s DNA matched evidence collected from a sexual assault kit completed by the teen, Sergeant Chaffey told the court.
The court also heard that a female DNA profile was found on clothing found at Agaalofa’s accommodation and identified by the alleged victim as hers.
Sergeant Chaffey said Agaalofa committed several “horrific” sex acts against the teenager during a prolonged attack, the ABC reported.
“The (alleged) victim made attempts to fight back and call for help but was physically overwhelmed,” Sergeant Chaffey told the court.
Agaalofa’s lawyer John Hennessy said his client had refuted the police statement of facts about the alleged rape and would contest the charges as he had applied for bail.
Mr Hennessy said Agaalofa had never met the teenager and had recently lived in Grafton where he picked berries.
Magistrate Hugh Donnelly remanded Agaalofa in custody after raising concerns about him failing to appear in court.
Agaalofa will return to Coffs Habour Local Court on March 27.
Kalo, who is being held at the Lotus Glen Correctional Centre, 25km south of Mareeba, will appear in the Mareeba Magistrates Court on May 7.
A Home Office spokeswoman said the department did not discuss individual cases and referred questions about the PALM scheme to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).
A DEWR spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia: “As both cases are now before the courts, it would be inappropriate for the department to comment.”