By Madeleine Heffernan
A Melbourne mother says she has lost faith in humanity after her 15-year-old son was bashed and robbed at a Chadstone shopping centre food court.
Angela, who does not want to use her last name to protect the privacy of her child, said her son was punched in the head and kicked by a group who also stole his phone, broke his gold chain and tried to steal his clothes.
The boy has neck bruises from an assault at Chadstone shopping centre.
Police are investigating the assault and released CCTV images on Tuesday afternoon of three males investigators want to speak with about the incident. No one has been charged over the incident.
“The first interaction was the girl approaching and saying, ‘Do you have a staring problem? Why are you staring at my boyfriend?’” Angela said.
“It caught [her son] off guard. So he’s talking to her and then suddenly, boom, he had two of them attacking him.”
A teenage boy says he was set upon by a group at Chadstone and his phone was stolen.
Angela, who didn’t witness the attack but was told about it by her son, said two older men tried to separate him from the assailants, and a woman called the police. Police called Angela at 4pm on Saturday, shortly after the assault, and she later took her son to hospital.
“I’m just grateful he didn’t get knocked out with the punches and the kicks that he copped. Disappointed with Chadstone, of course, and disappointed with general humanity at the moment.
“A 15-year-old kid, I know he’s tall, but you can see from his face that he’s a child, for God’s sake. My kid was not safe. He got jumped, he could have been really hurt.”
Police said they were investigating an alleged robbery, affray and assault at a shopping centre on Dandenong Road in Malvern East on February 24.
A male police want to speak with about the alleged assault.Credit: Victoria Police
“It’s believed a 15-year-old male was approached by a group of three unknown males and a female in the food court at around 4pm and assaulted,” a spokesperson said.
“The offenders attempted to steal clothing from the victim before leaving the scene with his iPhone. The teenager did not require hospitalisation but was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.”
A spokesperson for Vicinity Centres, which owns Chadstone alongside billionaire John Gandel, confirmed the incident but declined to elaborate.
“We are assisting Victoria Police in relation to an incident at our centre on Saturday. The safety of our visitors, retailers, teams and the wider community is always our priority.”
Police last year said crime in the shopping area of Chadstone was among the lowest of all major shopping precincts in the state, with 60 criminal offences including five crimes against people in the year to March 2023.
The assault follows warnings from nearby schools about violence at Chadstone, which is Australia’s largest shopping centre, located 17 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD.
Boys’ secondary school Salesian College Chadstone last year brought in the proactive policing unit after a series of incidents involving its students at the nearby shopping centre.
“The college works closely with police, relevant authorities and other schools to monitor the situation at Chadstone Shopping Centre. The centre is also well aware of its security responsibility,” principal Mark Ashmore wrote to families in September.
“However, I encourage parents and guardians to have an open conversation with your son regarding public safety, catching public transport, and walking to and from school.
“Our boys need to be aware of their surroundings and be alert and seek help if they feel unsafe.”
Glen Iris girls’ school Sacre Coeur warned parents last April about “a number of recent violent incidents” at the shopping centre.
“We acknowledge that a number of our students are often at Chadstone shopping centre both during the week and on weekends,” the school wrote.
“Can I encourage you all to have open, honest conversations about your daughter’s safety when they are out in public?”
Anyone with information about the assault on the teenage boy is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.