A veteran police officer has described the alleged sexual assault of a women by three teenagers during a home break-in as horrific.
The teens, who are now in police custody after a dramatic arrest on a busy street, are accused of entering a home in Cairns and threatening a couple with a knife early on Friday morning.
They allegedly took a woman into a separate room and sexually assaulted her before fleeing the home.
It is understood the alleged offenders were not known to the victims.
Detective Inspector Kev Goan said the incident was "abhorrent".
“For a young couple to be in bed, to have their home invaded by three intruders and for the male to be held at knifepoint while his partner is subject to sexual assaults while her assailants are also armed," he told reporters.
"With over 38 years of policing experience, this, to me, has been one of the most abhorrent acts committed during a break-and-enter."
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli labelled the allegations both "sickening" and "harrowing".
"I want Queenslanders to know that bringing justice to this family and the state is my number-one priority," he told reporters.
Two of the teenagers were arrested about an hour later and hit with a string of charges.
The third was arrested shortly before 6pm on Friday.
Dramatic vision of the arrest shows police in a lengthy sprint after a 15-year-old, who ran across multiple lanes of traffic on a busy road.
Police then tackle him on the median strip and handcuff him.
A 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy have each been hit with five charges of rape, along with armed robbery, deprivation of liberty and break-and-enter charges.
They are expected to face the Cairns Children's Court on Saturday.
The third teen is facing the same charges, along with single counts of possessing dangerous drugs and obstructing a police officer.
He is scheduled to face the Innisfail Children's Court on Saturday.
The alleged attack comes days after a heated back-and-forth in the Queensland parliament, where the opposition questioned why rape and attempted murder had not been included in the government's "adult crime, adult time" laws.
Those reforms mean children can face harsh sentences for serious crimes.
Mr Crisafulli said the government would appoint an independent panel to look at future changes to the laws.
