By Luke Voogt
Another vicious brawl in Geelong’s Lt Malop Street mall shocked witnesses on Wednesday night before the State Government launched a new strategy on youth crime.
Mobile phone footage showed a teenage boy yelling at a man: “Throw a swing at me, I’m being held back, let’s go”.
The youth continued screaming at the man as other teenagers appeared to physically and verbally harass him.
Then man walked away before a woman yelling followed and apparently hit him before he fell backward.
The man then walked after the woman before a teenage boy appeared to hit him in the back of the head from behind.
See the brawl unfold.
A pack of teenage boys and girls then assaulted him as he lay on the ground.
Onlookers broke up the fight before the man walked away to apparently punch the face of a girl in school uniform at the end of the video.
Police witnessed the altercation on surveillance cameras, said Geelong Inspector Graham Banks.
“By the time police attended the youth involved had fled the scene.”
The man appeared to be on drugs and was unwilling to speak to police, Insp Banks said.
“He was not co-operating with police but he appears to have been the victim of the assault.“
Police urged witnesses to phone Geelong Police Station on 5225 3100 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A city centre worker said violent incidents in the mall were now so frequent they were “just normal”.
“Last night it was just a little bit worse than usual,” said the woman, who asked for anonymity to protect her employer’s store.
“I wanted to go outside and yell at the little s..ts myself. The little cowards don’t scare me but they’d probably come back and trash the shop.”
Youth crime in the mall continued impacting traders, she said.
“I know people who won’t come into town because of it.”
The following day Police Minister Lisa Neville announced $700,000 to help tackle youth crime in Geelong.
The money would support joint court, youth agency and police interventions, Ms Neville said.
“We are working with local Geelong leaders and experts to intervene early to break the cycle of crime and build a safer community.”
