Two young women were sitting in their car when two hammer-wielding men allegedly launched a sudden and terrifying late-night attack.
Police confirmed they received a call about 10.05pm on 21 June reporting that a car had been damaged by two men with hammers on Old Coach Road, Berwick.
Police were told the offenders had driven off and the victim was no longer in any danger.
According to police, unfortunately, there were no nearby units available to attend at the time. Instead police made contact with the victim and asked them to attend a station so a statement could be taken and the vehicle photographed.
Local resident Allan, who lives nearby, heard the commotion and went outside to investigate. What he saw was deeply “confronting and distressing”.
“It wasn’t 2am, this was around 9.30 at night and I was shocked to see what had unfolded,” he told 3AW.
“All the windows were smashed out, all the panels were damaged, and the taillights were destroyed. Forget the car, there were two 18-year-old girls who were obviously in shock.”
The incident occurred in a busy area, with several cars parked and people nearby, as it’s a popular spot known for its scenic views.
He said the lack of immediate police response, followed by advice to drive an unroadworthy vehicle, left him and his partner stunned.
“They called the police. After 20 minutes, my partner also called the police. Well after an hour, no police were on site,” Allan told 3AW.
Opposition Leader and Member for Berwick Brad Battin, who viewed CCTV footage of the incident, described it as “one of the worst I’ve seen.”
“These are horrific scenes across our state. I think it’s just getting to a stage now that I said today,” Battin told 3AW.
“It’s actually beyond belief for what I even thought we could get to. It’s now becoming a movie.
and I think that’s a scary part for all of Victoria.”
Battin stressed that the failure to respond wasn’t Victoria Police’s fault, but a result of chronic under-resourcing.
“The Victoria Police, the men and women that are there, do a fantastic job,” Battin told 3AW.
“They just don’t have the resources to be out there doing proactive policing or even to respond to some of these. This is what creates the biggest issue.”
“You can see such violence happening right in front of the eyes of people and no one’s able to respond. I think it’s just leading to more and more crime in the state because these crooks know they can keep getting away with it and that’s what we’ve got to stop.”
He also called for bail reform, saying many violent offenders are already out on bail.
