Outcry, investigations at radio rape revelation 

Source: ONE News

A girl's on-air revelation she was raped has seen her mother's morality questioned and the radio hosts lambasted, as authorities in Australia investigate the claim.

There has been public outcry in Australia over Wednesday's stunt on the Kyle and Jacki O breakfast show on Sydney's 2Day FM which saw a 14-year-old girl strapped to a lie-detector and asked about her sexual history.

When her mother asked if she was sexually active the girl replied: "I've already told you the story about this ... and don't look at me and smile because it's not funny."

After the distressed teen revealed she has been raped as a 12-year-old, radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands responded by saying: "Right, is that the only experience you've had?" before the interview was brought to an end.

Sandilands and Jackie O apologised on air on Thursday, claiming they had not been told the girl had been raped and denying suggestions the interview was a set-up.

Police are investigating the rape claim and officers from the Department of Community Services (DoCS) have met with the family involved, the NSW government says.

"Whether or not they knew the claim of a rape is irrelevant," NSW Community Services Minister Linda Burney said on Thursday of radio hosts Sandilands and Jackie O.

"The fact they had a 14-year-old girl there, asking her about sex, is the focus and the inappropriate action here."

The minister said she did not believe the girl's mother was criminally liable for not having reported the rape claim, despite apparently learning about it months ago.

"But morally there has to be a question asked about whether or not she had that responsibility," Ms Burney said.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the radio hosts should have considered the welfare of the girl involved.

Sandilands has since said he wished he had chosen his words better in response to the girl's statement but also criticised the media's representation of the incident.

He told the Nine Network's Today show he felt instantly terrible for the girl.

"There was genuine shock," Sandilands said.

Child rights advocacy group Kids Free 2 B Kids have labelled the on-air stunt as child abuse and want a national strategy to prevent child exploitation in the media.

"Dragging a child onto the media stage to be interrogated with a lie detector about her sexuality is a horrific invasion of her rights," the group said in a statement.

"What took place in the radio studio was child abuse and should be acknowledged as such."

The group's call for the radio program to be axed has the support of former Family Court justice Alastair Nicholson, World Vision chief Tim Costello, adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg and ethicist Clive Hamilton.

Meanwhile, child protection group Braveheart has praised the girl for speaking up about her ordeal.

"Sexual assault is disempowering," group founder Hetty Johnston said in a statement on Thursday.

"But this little Braveheart reached into her 'self' and found potentially, the last shred of 'self' power she possessed and told everyone the truth...

"There are so many issues around this but the bottom line is that this 14-year-old stunned the nation with the truth.

"She broke the silence on sexual assault."