Gold Coast crime: Gold Coast boy allegedly attacked by teen thugs at train station
A gang of teen thugs attacked a boy at one of the Gold Coast’s busiest train stations, stealing his shoes and leaving him terrified and in tears.
Crime and Court
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A GOLD Coast mother is calling for tighter security and better policing at train stations after another teen gang attack.
Angela Connellan’s 13-year-old boy was robbed in broad daylight this week by four “intimidating” thugs while he waited with a friend, 11, at Nerang station during peak hour.
She said the group of boys, aged about 16, stole her son’s new Nike shoes and his friend’s Lacoste hat and left the young boys terrified and in tears.
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“They were using their sheer size to stand over and intimidate the boys in a circle,” she said.
“My son was scared but tried to talk to the boys nicely so they would not get physical with him and his friend.
“Our son’s friend was crying.”
Mrs Connellan said her son told the station kiosk staff member what had happened, but police were not notified.
“By the time my husband got there, both kids were still very distraught and no one had called the police,” she said.
“My husband began yelling, asking ‘what the hell is going on, my children have just been robbed and you’re all just standing there watching’. No police were notified by Queensland Rail staff.”
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Mrs Connellan called police link to report the robbery and went to the station to speak with staff but got nowhere.
“I would like to see more security at train stations especially on the trains,” she said.
“We should be able to feel safe when using public transport.
“Unfortunately, I have had multiple families come forward and say the same thing has happen to their child.
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“What gave these boys the right to take my son’s shoes? Do their parents know what they are up to?”
Another Nerang mother Annie Fay, who lives across the road from the station, said three boys tried to steal her son’s Nike shoes when he had walked to the station after his birthday party.
“One managed to take one shoe from my son’s foot, and they were trying to get the other one off but my son’s friend grabbed the one they had and they both ran home,” she said.
“My son was traumatised and hysterical.
“We managed to jump in the car and go after them, and I called the police, who arrived very quickly and one boy was arrested and the other two fled.”
It is not known if the same boys are responsible for both robberies.
In response, Queensland Police spokesman said police conducted high-visibility patrols throughout Nerang and took a “zero-tolerance approach” to crime and anti-social behaviour.
He also recommended people using the station to stay alert, be aware of surroundings, leave the situation if you feel threatened and consider the necessity of the items you carry, keeping valuables to a minimum.
The Bulletin has reported a number of teenage gang attacks on the heavy rail line in recent months. One included a 17-year-old girl being beaten so severely near Helensvale train station in April that doctors thought she had a broken neck. Her assault was filmed and posted to social media.
In January, a mum could do nothing but listen to her daughter’s screams on the phone as she was attacked and robbed outside a Coomera shopping centre.
“The policing response to crime-related issues in any community needs to compliment support from other service agencies and from the broader community,” the QPS spokesman said.
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“Local police have a strong focus on community engagement and work hard to maintain relationships including police liaison officers speaking with vulnerable communities and groups within the division.
“Public safety is paramount in the management of any public transport hub and the QPS plays a key role in ensuring the community feels safe and secure as they travel.”
He said police recommended people using the station to stay alert, be aware of surroundings, leave the situation if you feel threatened and consider the necessity of the items you carry, keeping valuables to a minimum.
Queensland Rail Senior Manager of Security Drew Brock said the incidents were currently under investigation.
“While station staff did not witness the interaction, the report was taken seriously and CCTV was reviewed and proactively provided to police, who are now looking into the incident also,” he said.
“Safety is Queensland Rail’s highest priority and we do not tolerate theft, violence or anti-social behaviour on our network.
He said an 80-officer strong Railway Squad provided a highly visible uniform presence on the rail network to deter, detect, investigate and charge offenders for criminal and anti-social behaviour.
These officers are supported by Queensland Rail’s 24-hour security monitoring team based at the Rail Management Centre, who can tap into more than 12,000 CCTV cameras across the network.
They are also supported by Authorised Officer teams, Security Guards, Mobile Security Dog teams and TransLink Senior Network Officers.
“Everyone has the right to feel safe as they travel on our network, which is why we make no apologies for targeting this type of behaviour,” he said.
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