By BRIDGET COOK
A CRANBOURNE mother whose daughter was assaulted by two girls over the weekend said her family has been left shaken following the random, vicious attack.
Angela’s 17-year-old daughter was walking home about 2.15pm on Sunday afternoon along Camms Road in Cranbourne when she noticed she was being followed by an older model silver sedan.
Police said as the victim entered a nearby reserve, the car pulled over and two young women got out and started following her.
The women, one who was carrying a wheel brace, then pushed the teenager to the ground, punched her to the face and made demands for money.
While they were assaulting Angela’s daughter, one of the women stole her phone before they ran back to the waiting car.
Angela said her daughter only received minor injuries and they considered themselves lucky that it wasn’t a lot worse.
She said the attack had left them all shaken and made them feel unsafe in their home town.
“She’s been an outgoing, independent girl her whole life but this has shaken her,” Angela said.
“She won’t be walking anywhere by herself anymore and neither will my other children.
“It’s really scared the hell out of her.
“It’s sad that we are not safe just going about our own thing.
“People should be able to walk around in broad daylight and not worrying about something so scary like this happening.
“I just don’t get how someone can do something so horrible to someone innocent.”
Angela said the situation could have been a lot worse if her daughter fought back or mouthed-off.
“She didn’t fight back, mouth-off or try and run and I think that’s why she wasn’t injured any worse,” she said.
“One of them was carrying a wheel brace, so lucky they didn’t need to use that – I’m sure they had intentions to use it.
“One of the women was more aggressive than the other and wanted to keep going, but the other one said to leave it after they realised she had no money on her.
“Then they ran off laughing – that’s what really angers and upsets me.
“How could they find such an act amusing?”
Angela urged anyone who knew anything about the attack to contact police before anyone else became an innocent victim.
“It’s just not right and I hope they a caught soon,” she said.
“It could have been a lot worse, even possibly to a child or elderly person.
“I want people to know this has happened and, hopefully, put an end to it happening again.”
Investigators are seeking information from members of the public and urged any who has seen or heard anything to call Detective Senior Constable Mick Harris on 8558 8684 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
