EDITORIAL: Time to get tough on violent cowards

YET another alleged case of assault on an ambulance officer surfaced at the weekend, with a Stanthorpe man accused of kicking a Warwick paramedic.

Kerri Moore staff headshot. Picture: Candyce Braithwaite

YET another alleged case of assault on an ambulance officer surfaced at the weekend, with a Stanthorpe man accused of kicking a Warwick paramedic who was trying to assist the man after a night of drinking.

The alleged incident is not an isolated one and our very own paramedics are reporting regular abuse that includes being kicked, punched and spat at by patients.

These kinds of abuse are truly despicable and it is time we toughen up on those who lash out at emergency services, especially ambulance crews whose only reason to be near these people is to offer assistance.

Attacks on paramedics should be regarded as the serious crime they are and should carry mandatory jail sentences.

Ambulance officers don't discriminate in who they treat and no matter what events led up to them being injured, paramedics don't judge. They are simply there to help - to mend what is broken, ease pain and, in some cases, save lives.

But instead of treating these men and women with the respect they deserve, some feel it is fitting to attack and degrade those who are often the only ones trying to offer assistance. They are often our only lifeline in a horrible situation.

Kerri Moore, Print editor

Originally published as EDITORIAL: Time to get tough on violent cowards