Girls brutally attacked in ‘vicious’ incident at Riverway Lagoons in Townsville

A trip to Townsville has ended in terror for one family after two teenage girls were allegedly viciously attacked at a popular public pool by a group of strangers. SEE THE VIDEO.

A trip to Townsville has ended in terror for one family after two teenage girls were allegedly viciously attacked at a popular public pool by a group of strangers.

Police are investigating after two 16-year-old girls were allegedly ambushed by a group of girls unknown to them at the Riverway Lagoons around 6pm on January 15.

Video footage taken of the incident shows one of the teens lying on the ground, desperately shielding her head from her attackers while being repeatedly punched and kicked.

The distraught mother of the girl shown in the video described the incident as “vicious.”

“They threw my daughter down on the ground, and they stomped on her, punched her, so she’s got a lot of bruising,” the mum said.

“I’ve watched that video over and over. I mean, what if they had stomped on her head instead and left her a paraplegic? They were vicious.”

While the attack was happening, police say a teenage boy stole one of the girl’s backpacks and ran off. The bag was found later, but her phone and AirPods were missing.

Video footage of an incident where two girls were allegedly set upon by a group of kids at Riverway Lagoons in Townsville on January 15, 2025.

The mum claimed when she arrived to pick up her daughter and her friend a few minutes after it happened, she saw their alleged attackers slowly walking away across a nearby oval.

“They didn’t run, they sauntered off without a care in the world,” she said.

She called the police, who later located three female suspects, aged between 12 and 16. None have been charged.

Meanwhile, the two girls were taken to Townsville University Hospital and treated for multiple bruises, cuts and scratches.

The mum says her daughter and her friend had been left traumatised by what happened.

She said they had only been in Townsville for a few days visiting family but now have no intention of returning after the ordeal.

“They wanted to leave right away … They’ll never come back, and honestly, I don’t know if I want to either,” she said.

Thuringowa MP Natalie Marr says she’s spoken with the victim’s families and offered to meet with the girls to reassure them that she’ll stand up against “this disgraceful behaviour.”

“There is no place for this sort of violence in our community, and our young people should have every right to feel safe when attending public spaces such as Riverway,” she said.

“I have spoken with local police in relation to this matter, and they have advised me that they are currently investigating this incident.

“In addition to this, they have also increased their patrols, including running operations to target anti-social behaviour.

“We all have a duty to stand up and call out this foul behaviour and let these offenders know that this sort of behaviour is not tolerated and that they will be held accountable for their actions.”

Police are investigating and reviewing CCTV footage and videos from witnesses. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Originally published as Girls brutally attacked in ‘vicious’ incident at Riverway Lagoons in Townsville