17 September 2024

Two teens allegedly assault three people at Canberra Centre

| Albert McKnight
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Canberra Centre entrance

The teens allegedly assaulted three people at the Canberra Centre on Monday. Photo: Michelle Kroll.

Two teenagers are accused of unprovoked assaults on three people in the Canberra Centre, leaving them with serious head injuries.

ACT Policing said at about 1:50 pm on Monday (16 September), a group of teenagers were causing a disturbance in the mall by knocking over displays and shouting at members of the public.

A 65-year-old man approached the group and reprimanded them for their behaviour before he walked outside.

It is alleged a 16-year-old boy followed him and repeatedly hit him in the face, causing him to fall to the ground.

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A bystander attempted to intervene and defend the man, but it is alleged he was also repeatedly struck in the face by the 16-year-old.

Police allege that when a second bystander tried to use her trolley to prevent any more assaults, she was hit in the back of the head by a 14-year-old girl with a shopping bag.

“All three victims sustained serious facial and mouth injuries as a result of the alleged assault,” a police spokesperson said.

“A short time after the alleged assaults occurred, the boy and girl fled the scene in a taxi.”

Two teenagers were soon spotted in the Canberra Outlet Centre, where the 16-year-old boy allegedly stole a pair of shoes from a store.

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He allegedly tried to flee from police, but was arrested after a short foot pursuit. The 14-year-old girl was arrested as well.

The 16-year-old faced the ACT Children’s Court on Tuesday charged with two counts of assault and theft.

The 14-year-old girl will face the Children’s Court next month charged with assault.

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Can we start charging the parents to? Statistically speaking they’re probably committing another crime anyway…

No place that ever gives itself over to woke libertarianism gets away with it. San Francisco: sh*t hole. Portland: sh*t hole. L.A: sh*t hole. And on and on and on I could go.

That Canberra thinks that it can buck the trend, is just the kind of thing that it would think.

Finance 6'5" Blue Eyes5:00 pm 02 Oct 24

Sh*t hole? Don’t you mean “woketopia”?!?

There is another conversation that needs to happen about people’s rights and Housing ACT (HACT) criteria. Are most people aware that Hosuing does not do a working with children or vulnerable people check or a police check for current offences when they give someone a home? In effect they hand offenders a public asset, a home for life; its almost impossible for HACT to get a successful brief up to ACAT and get an eviction for anything other than unpaid rent! why this is, apart from poor laws and policies – like HACT staff competencies/resources is another issue. HACT then place recidivist criminals with vulnerable sick elderly people and with families with minors in now mostly apartment complexes where people have no choice but to live in close proximity to each other. If these checks are required for many employment positions surely no reasonable voting citizen could object to these checks for housing. Housing may be a human right but vulnerable people without criminal records are potential victims of these recidivist and addicts and they should not be given a home in the same complexes. It’s also just common sense. In effect women and children without addictions or criminal addictions are regularly told a home with shared common spaces like car parks etc with a criminal of assault is a legitimate offer they have to accept. what is HACT duty of care here?

criminal convictions*

Dreadful but props to the people who confronted their behaviour, even if it didn’t end well.

I agree – they should be rewarded for their courage. It’s time to stand up to offending bullies.

The CBD used to be safer than Woden for shopping, but it sounds like it too has descended into a place to be avoided.

Heywood Smith1:38 pm 18 Sep 24

I think what we need is to build a large Youth DC right next to the AMC. The current system is BS and isnt working. I also agree parents should be held accountable for the actions of their (minors) childrens actions.

More little punks on the street showing no remorse because they know the revolving door of bail laws will spit them back out into the populace. Thanks Greens

@Futureproof
… even worse. Had any of the victims actually fought back and injured one of these scrotes, the court would have come down on them like a ton of bricks.

I agree we now have a ridiculous situation where offenders right are greater and more important than a victims. This is out of step with what the majority of the population, who are not offenders want in their societies. The current laws do not represent the majority of good citizens in the ACT but offenders.

Finance 6'5" Blue Eyes5:02 pm 02 Oct 24

100%

Why are so many, including juveniles getting away with bond, sometimes seriously and repeatedly offences, and only getting a slap on the wrist? The police are frustrated enough without the courts just doing this. Is this a simple case of politics interfering with legal procedures, which we all know should not be occurring at all? Or is it the Labor Government simply brown nosing everyone with their ideals? I know come the ACT elections I’m going to test that and see what the alternatives can offer, because justice in the ACT currently, is shite, mainly for any victims, whilst those that offend just get a slap on the wrist. Again, and again, and again……

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