A Fijian Indian childcare worker who allegedly raped a four-year-old Australian girl at a daycare centre in Queensland has been allowed to leave the country while on bail.
Arvind Ajay Singh, a 39-year-old Fijian national, had his visa cancelled after being charged with one count of rape in 2022 and remanded in custody, but was then granted bail in April 2023 and surrendered his passport after being committed to stand trial on the Sunshine Coast.
But after a series of court delays Singh was located by the Australian Border Force in May this year and placed in immigration detention in a Brisbane CBD apartment due to being an “illegal non-citizen”, and was then allowed to fly back to Fiji voluntarily in July, A Current Affair reported.
Singh had bail conditions preventing him from entering an air or seaport or trying to leave Australia without police approval, and it is unclear how he was able to regain his passport before flying out of Brisbane.
Then in August he failed to appear at Maroochydore District Court, and has a pre-trial hearing listed for the same court on Friday.
His alleged victim’s parents, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told A Current Affair they had been waiting more than three years for justice and were shocked Singh was allowed to return to his home country while facing such a serious charge.
“I don’t understand how the whole system could fail a four-year-old little girl,” the victim’s father said.
“Why aren’t all these departments talking to each other? How does this even happen? It shouldn’t happen at all.
“It’s not like he snuck out the back door or got on a boat and left the country. Someone stamped his paperwork and let an accused rapist out the front door.”
The mother asked: “How can immigration make a decision on somebody who is on a rape charge? How do they get to walk out of this country free?”
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke refused to comment, and a spokesperson said the department could not comment on individual cases, but the department is understood to be blaming Queensland Police for not keeping Singh in Australian on a criminal justice visa.
Queensland Police claimed it “worked collaboratively with partner agencies, including the Department of Home Affairs and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, to ensure all legislative and procedural requirements were met”.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said it would apply for a warrant and extradition if Singh does not show up on September 26.
“Australian Border Force was made aware of the active charges and court proceedings in relation to Singh in June 2023,” the ODPP said.
Singh’s mother was also able to visit him in his detention apartment, and posted photos on social media of the CBD view and her son riding an exercise bike, raising questions about ABF usage of hotels and serviced apartment for immigration detention.
Header image: Arvind Ajay Singh (A Current Affair).
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