Magistrate’s stark warning teen over Kwinana Shopping Centre assault

A 14-year-old girl who bashed a woman at a shopping centre in Perth’s south has been told by a magistrate the assault was “completely out of order”. The teen, who cannot be named because she is underage, appeared before Rockingham Children’s Court on Wednesday, April 19, to plead guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm. Police prosecutor Sgt Brian Sutherland told the court the victim and teen were at the Kwinana Shopping Centre on February 21 at 5.50pm. The teen was standing outside the public toilets when the 31-year-old victim walked past and the pair exchanged words. The victim began to walk away from her but the teen followed and assaulted her. The 14-year-old hit the victim multiple times, scratched her and pulled her hair, causing injuries including a bump to the head and loss of hair. Legal Aid lawyer Claire Rossi said when she asked the teen what led to the assault, she said the victim had called her names which made her angry. Ms Rossi said the teen had been a victim of school bullying, which was a contributing factor to the offending. “She now has a good group of friends, but the trauma from the bullying is still there,” she said. “She tells me that as the lady walked past, she said something. “She questioned the lady, who responded by saying, ‘I told your friend that she was really pretty . . . I wasn’t talking to you, you fat ugly b....’.” Ms Rossi said the teen said the victim then put her arms up, which made her believe she was going to do something. “She is deeply ashamed and horrified by the events that occurred,” she said. Ms Rossi said the teen hadn’t engaged in behaviour like this before and a psychological report said the teen had been dealing with “stress” and “anxiety” from school bullying. Magistrate Catherine Crawford told the teen it was a “very serious matter”. “The woman was a complete stranger using facilities in a shopping centre and bashed by you,” she said. “Whatever’s gone on before is not an excuse and can’t possibly happen again. “I understand there has been a history of bullying, but it’s completely out of order to behave in that way and it worries me that you acted in this way.” Ms Crawford said she understood bullying had played a part in the teen’s offending but her behaviour needed to be addressed. “Whatever people have said to you in the past, you are a beautiful young woman with your whole life ahead of you,” she said. “This cannot happen again.” The teen was ordered to complete a four-month intensive supervision order. Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800