Kids find naked body on way to school

Carenda Jenkin

25Jul08

'He was half-eaten by dogs' - CHILDREN screamed in fear when they found a naked body of a man on their way to school in Alice Springs yesterday.

Witnesses said it appeared the caucasian man had been half-eaten by dogs.

Residents of the Hidden Valley town camp in Alice Springs east made the gruesome discovery about 8am yesterday.

A man was driving a group of about five children to school when they came across the body. It lay just off the road close to the town camp's entrance.

The children were aged between two and 16 years.

Hearing their screams, relatives rushed to the scene where they found a dead man in a bloody mess with his leg and arm savagely bitten.

An uncle of the children said it looked as if the man had been ``half-eaten'' by dogs.

None of the witnesses wanted to be named, nor could they assess the age of the man as the body was covered in dust and blood. None believed the man was known to them.

The children's grandfather described the scene as ``horrific''.

The grandfather said: ``A lot of meat was torn out of one leg and an arm. I think a dog made a meal of him.

``I saw all these dog tracks all around the body and dust all over him - it looked like he was rolling on the ground to get away.

``All the children were in the car crying. I'm completely shocked. It makes me want to scream.

``They've now got the taste of human blood - nothing will stop them.

``These dogs are going to kill and kill. One of these days one of my grandchildren is going to be victim and just thinking of it is making me very scared about it.

``Everyone has to wait until someone is killed and that's when they might do something about it.

``We've spoken to the town council and Tangentyere and no one's done anything.''

The body was found not far from two vacant homes that were undergoing renovations, but roughly 60 metres from the nearest inhabited home.

St John Ambulance deputy operations manager Peter Monks said the man had ``substantial'' bite wounds to his body.

Mr Monks said it was not known whether the man was bitten before or after he had died.

Police and ambulance crews were called to the town camp in Alice Springs' east before 8.30am.

Police blocked the road inside the entrance to the town camp with a paddy wagon and established a crime scene.

Investigations into the death were continuing last night and a post mortem was expected to be carried out today.

Police were also calling for witnesses who may have seen a Caucasian man in the area of the camp on Wednesday night or yesterday morning to come forward.