A group of Aboriginal youths were trying to steal cannabis from a shed near Goondiwindi, Queensland, when they were interrupted by two farm workers. One of the youths was tied to a tree and forced to watch while his 16-year-old friend was stripped naked, dragged along the ground by a noose around his neck, and beaten with sticks. The perpetrators were today convicted and fined just $800 each. The decision sends a message that torturing Aboriginal people in a way that invokes KKK-style lynchings deserves only a slap on the wrist.