Teens with broken eye socket, nose and jaw in alleged Burleigh bashing

An evening walk to grab an ice cream took a shocking turn for a couple of Gold Coast teens, allegedly brutally bashed in a gang attack and left with shocking injuries. Now their parents have revealed the devastating toll.

The families of four teenagers savagely bashed by a gang of 30 youths at Burleigh Heads on Australia Day say their boys could have been killed after they sustained shocking injuries.

One of the 16-year-old victims was left with a fractured eye socket and nose when his head was allegedly kicked and stomped repeatedly during the attack near Justin Park on January 26.

Another suffered a broken jaw.

A member of the first boy’s family, who has asked not be identified due to safety and privacy concerns, told the Bulletin: “He had an outline of a shoe print on his head when he was in the back of the ambulance with the paramedic.”

The boys were left seriously injured in the attack. Picture: Generated by Gemini AI

All families have called on the State Government to crack down on escalating violence in the suburb.

The Bulletin, as part of its 18-month Thin Blue Line series, has reported calls for greater police resources and a dedicated station in the heart of Burleigh after a wave of alcohol-fuelled violence and anti-social behaviour.

The family, in their first interview since the alleged gang attack late last month, said their son’s swelling had only subsided enough on Sunday – seven days after the attack – for him to be able to fully open his eyes and see.

Another parent of one of the victims, who has also asked not to be identified due to safety concerns, said the four boys were walking past the Burleigh Heads Hotel about 8.30pm to get ice cream when the alleged assault occurred.

“They (victims) were walking in pairs – a couple of metres part – when they’ve passed another group of boys,” the father said.

His son had alleged the offenders were about 17 and of Pacific Islander appearance. He told his father: “Dad, they were big boys.”

Police are investigating the incident. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

The father alleges the attackers began hassling the boys, calling them names and showing off.
“My son said to his mate next to him, ‘step it out’, as in walk faster,” the father said.

“The other two mates behind them, one of them has said something like ‘p*** off’ or ‘f*** off and leave us alone’. My son said he’s looked back behind him and seen one of them (attackers) pick up his mate and throw him to the ground and start kicking.”
The father said that within seconds the two boys were surrounded and allegedly kicked and had their heads repeatedly stomped on as they tried to get up and escape.
“The numbers grew to twenty five, thirty kids real fast. They came on e-scooters, they came from the beach, and all continued to beat up these kids,” he said.
“There was girls in the group and my son said they were yelling ‘stop you’ll kill him’ but it didn’t make a difference. As a parent, you feel sick hearing that. You don’t try to kill someone for telling you to f off.”
The incident unfolded just several hundred metres from where Cameron Duce, 22, was found unresponsive by members of the public about 2.30am on September 20. He was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital with a serious head injury where days later he died. An 18-year-old man has since been charged with unlawful striking causing death.

After Mr Duce’s death, a political storm erupted over the crime wave gripping Burleigh Heads with the then State Labor government accused of cutting the number of dedicated police officers on the southern Coast.

Police Minister Dan Purdie and Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster in the lead up to the 2024 state poll announced a multimillion-dollar community safety package for the suburb. Picture: Charlton Hart.

The fallout led to a $4.1 million dollar election winning pledge by then LNP candidate Hermann Vorster to establish a dedicated police beat, expand CCTV, and boost police resources. He later won the October poll.

No arrests have yet been made over the Australia Day assault. In a statement a Queensland Police Service (QPS) spokesman said officers were investigating the incident.

“Initial investigations indicate that around 8.30pm, three teenage boys were walking through Justin Park when an altercation occurred between them and a large group of juveniles,” the spokesman said.

“It is alleged a male from the group punched and kicked one of the teenage boys. The victims’ friends also sustained injuries due to the group assaulting them. Upon police arriving, the group fled the scene in different directions.”

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident and anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage to come forward.

“This was an extremely serious and violent attack,” one of the victim’s family members said. “It could have resulted in one of the boys being killed. The community need to know about this and be made aware that it is happening and is real.”

Originally published as Teens with broken eye socket, nose and jaw in alleged Burleigh bashing