DVD thugs should not be identified, lawyer says

MELBOURNE - Those involved in making and selling a DVD that depicts the sexual assault and degradation of a teenage girl by up to a dozen youths should not be named and shamed, Law Council of Australia president John North said today.

Copies of the DVD, which was filmed in the western Melbourne suburb of Werribee in June, has sold in several Victorian schools for A$5 ($5.80).

It shows youths sexually assaulting the girl, urinating on her and setting her hair alight and also making chlorine bombs, harassing a homeless man and pelting taxi drivers with eggs.

Mr North told the Nine Network minors involved with the DVD should not be named despite some names being printed on the DVD cover.

Both of Melbourne's daily newspapers have published unedited photographs of some of those in the film.

"If those facts are correct, it shows how immature, how easily-led some of them might be, and that is the distinction the law makes for children and adolescents," he said.

"It's appalling behaviour, it's outrageous behaviour, but we shouldn't punish it with that feeling of retribution and revenge.

"We should try and make sure that people are punished properly if they commit a crime but that the rest of their lives aren't ruined, and some of these people might be quite young and some of them might be quite easily led by stronger peer group pressure."

The incident, while "outrageous and horrific", should not ruin the lives of those involved in the assault, Mr North said.

"What we say is that children should have a chance to put that behind them in the future ... because it's universally recognised that naming and shaming people, which would result if an adolescent was named in court for these crimes, has had no benefit in the future and does not help with rehabilitation," he said.

Victoria Police Senior Constable Michael Henry said sexual crimes squad detectives interviewed several youths about the DVD yesterday after their parents handed them in.

No one has been charged at this stage, and police hope to conduct further interviews in coming days, he said.

- AAP