Neighbors break silence after Brisbane’s father was accused of torturing his children

Neighbors who lived next door to a home where three children were allegedly tortured have told police they will never forgive themselves for brushing off their screams and tantrums.

Police were called to the south-east Brisbane property at about 9:30pm on Saturday and found a five-year-old boy in critical condition, and his older siblings – a six-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy – in the garage with extensive non-life-threatening injuries.

All three children were taken to Queensland Children’s Hospital for treatment, where they are now in stable condition.

Daily Mail Australia understands police will claim neighbors heard screams from the house where the children’s 29-year-old father was arrested.

He has since been charged with seven counts of assault with bodily harm, three counts of torture, three counts of assault with bodily harm while armed and one count of grievous bodily harm.

Previous court records indicate that the father of three is a refugee who emigrated to Australia more than a decade ago.

Detectives were searching the two-story property, which sits at the end of a strip of apartments in a gated community, four days after the father’s arrest.

The brick house looked eerily abandoned with no toys in the yard or other indications that it had once been inhabited by children—or anyone for that matter.

The bare backyard is in stark contrast to the backyard that is full of trampolines, bicycles and games for children.

The only signs of life were a padlock wedged through the front door, a few weathered chairs in the backyard, and a pile of empty plastic containers piled on the grass near the entrance.

While the property appeared to be empty, the father’s car is parked in a bay opposite the house. A single child car seat could be seen through the window in the back.

A neighbor, who did not give her name, said the family moved into the mansion six to four months ago.

She said she never saw the children playing outside, but heard them screaming “almost every night” and thought they were refusing to go to bed.

“The screaming would happen at any hour, sometimes late at night. It was mostly the girl,” she told Daily Mail Australia, visibly shaken.

And now to think they were [allegedly] be tortured.

“I’ll never forgive myself for thinking they were just playing a game.”

She also said she was constantly kept awake by blaring music and house lights shining through her windows.

A second neighbor, who lives behind the family’s house, also said she never saw the children playing in the backyard.

She too heard screaming but was shocked and upset to learn of the allegations when detectives knocked on her door.

‘I’ve been so busy lately. You hear noises, but kids are screaming and crying — I just thought they were having a tantrum,” she said.

‘I feel terrible.’

Other local residents said they saw two women running out the front door with the children around 2 a.m. Saturday — just 17 hours before the man’s arrest.

Another woman wiped away tears as she remembered that she had never seen anything unusual happen at home.

She came home around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, shortly after the kids were taken away, to hear a grief-stricken woman wailing in the driveway.

She screamed “What did I do? How could I let this happen?”

“People were comforting her when an ambulance came and took her away.”

The incident has rocked the tight-knit community, with residents devastated to learn that the children were allegedly abused right under their noses.

Neighbors said the incident taught them that the community needs to be “more aware” of what is happening around them.

Emergency services rushed to the home on Saturday evening after paramedics were called to report that a 5-year-old boy had been injured.

The man, whose name cannot be released for legal reasons, was arrested on the spot and taken into custody to appear before Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.

He has an extensive criminal history in Queensland, including a conviction for leaving a child unattended and giving false or misleading information to authorities.

The Home Office revoked his refugee status in 2017 over his run-ins with the law and attempted to deport him.

However, the decision was later reversed and his visa reinstated, allowing him to remain in Australia.

In assessing his visa status, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal was asked to consider evidence that he was caring for three children.

Submissions submitted argued that it was not in the best interests of the children “to deny a father who is able and willing to provide loving support.”

His bail application was rejected by the court on Monday and the case was adjourned to February 27.