Melbourne crime wave: Jewellers count psychological cost of ‘traumatic’ armed robberies
JEWELLERS are being left psychologically traumatised by a wave of violent armed robberies which has swept Victoria in the past 12 months.
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JEWELLERS in Melbourne are struggling to cope with the emotional impact from a wave of armed robberies which has swept the state.
Robberies of jewellery stores have plagued Melbourne and over the past year police have charged more than 30 people.
In addition to the financial cost of having to install extra security measures in stores, traumatised workers also face having to return to work where the incidents happened.
The Herald Sun today revealed three teens who carried out an armed robbery of a Toorak jewellery store received 18-month youth supervision orders.
Husband and wife Gursharan Singh and Shivani Bhasin own Dev Jewellers in Reservoir, which was targeted in July last year.
The offenders held a gun to Mr Singh’s head while he was working alone.
Since then, the couple upgraded security but the store was hit again in February. On that occasion the would-be thieves could not get inside.
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The couple said their children used to come to work on Saturdays but did not do that now because they were scared.
Their 10-year-old daughter was in the back room of the store when the second incident happened.
Ms Bhasin said her daughter was mentally scarred after hearing her mother and a customer screaming in terror.
“It was the worst experience of our lives,” Ms Bhasin said.
“My husband was very shaken and depressed for many days. Everyone in the family was.
“We couldn’t sleep for many nights because of fear. I wasn’t there but I saw what happened in the video and it got into my dreams too.”
Jewellers Association of Australia Victorian spokesman Michael Oboler urged any jeweller who had been a victim to reach out for help from family and friends as well as professionals.
“Crisis counselling is most effective if done within 48 hours,” he said.
“Another thing professionals recommend is to try and talk to somebody — maybe a partner or loved one, straight after the event.
“These people will go through feelings of helplessness, anxiety, fear, panic and shock.”
Attorney-General Martin Pakula said the state government had introduced legislation into Parliament to crack down on youth crime, including longer detention periods of up to four years.
“These reforms will help to ensure young offenders are being dealt with properly,” Mr Pakula said.
Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the case highlighted the need for mandatory minimum sentences.
“There is something very wrong when the Premier continues to defend this broken system and yet still attacks our policy of mandatory sentencing for repeat violent offenders,” Mr Guy said.
“This is more evidence of why Daniel Andrews should support our policy for mandatory sentencing to keep repeat violent offenders off the streets.”