- On October 5, a 15-year-old boy with autism and epilepsy was lured to a bus stop in Stawell under the pretense of meeting friends, where he was subsequently assaulted and robbed of his shoes.
- On October 13, detectives from the Northern Grampians Crime Investigation Unit executed four search warrants, leading to the arrest of two 15-year-olds and a 14-year-old boy involved in the incident.
- All three teenagers have been charged with affray, robbery, recklessly causing injury, and theft, and are scheduled to appear before a children's court.
- A fourth boy will be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation, and additional patrols have been deployed in Stawell to enhance community safety.
- The victim was assaulted by three teenagers who taunted him and demanded he remove his shoes during the attack, which was captured on video.
- The boy's mother was unaware of the incident until she received a call from her son using a paramedic's phone, believing he was simply out with friends.
- The victim sustained soft tissue damage and potential head injuries, and his family is struggling to understand why he was targeted.
Sickening footage has emerged of a gang of young thugs bashing and stealing shoes from a 15-year-old boy with special needs, after he was lured to a rural train station under the guise of a friendly catch-up.123
The boy, who has autism and epilepsy, was elated when he received a message from two girls wanting to be friends. They arranged to meet at a bus stop near a train station in Stawell, Victoria, at 5.45pm on October 5. However, instead of two friendly faces, he was met by three violent teenagers.
Graphic footage captures the boys taunting the victim as he tries to walk away, before they throw punches and shove him to the ground. One of the teenagers holds the boy down, punching the side of his head, while two others kick at his face. The teenager filming the attack then demands the victim hand over his shoes, saying, “Take your shoes off right now … take your f*ing shoes off,” and thanks him before telling him to “get the f* out of here.”
The boy, whose identity has been withheld for his safety, sustained soft tissue damage and potential head injuries. His mother expressed her relief that he survived, stating, “I’m just lucky to have him alive … he’s having nightmares.” Police charged the three boys with affray, robbery, recklessly causing injury, and theft, and they will appear before a children’s court at a later date. Superintendent Dan Davidson acknowledged the community's concern, stating, “There is never any excuse for violence in our community, and we will not accept it in any form.”61415
“Detectives from the Northern Grampians Crime Investigation Unit executed four search warrants on October 13, arresting two 15-year-olds and a 14-year-old boy. All three face charges of affray, robbery, recklessly causing injury, and theft, while a fourth boy will be interviewed and additional patrols are deployed across Stawell.”
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