A few hours later, the group walked about 20 minutes to the home of one of the boys whose parents were away. It was late October, the first night of daylight saving and the mood, spirited. The girls sneaked over the back fence like thieves, meeting up with another girl and four boys. Messages flew back-and-forth via the internet and mobile phones, and eventually a plan was hatched to rendezvous at a nearby park.

While the mother of the house slept, the girls - then aged 14 - schemed with some male peers from their brother school.

Three teenage girls* were mucking around last year at one of the trio's homes in a trendy bayside suburb.