After a family was assaulted in the troubled Little Bridge Street precinct, Ballarat’s top cop has defended his officers’ response.
A group of boys surrounded the visiting family, including their 12-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy, punching them, hurling a chain at them and shouting racist slurs.
A 12-year-old boy has since been interviewed by police and given a caution for unlawful assault.
“We had other police units tied up that couldn’t then get away from what they were currently doing to go to this particular job,” says Superintendent Frank Sells.
“However, what I will say is that police made contact with the victim immediately and talked to them over the phone to get them up to the police station,” he said.
“The other thing we established very early was there was not any ongoing assault.”
