Staff allegedly assaulted in second attack at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre
Three teenagers have been charged over an alleged assault with a plastic cricket bat on staff at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre.
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Three teenagers will appear in court today after two staff members at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre were allegedly attacked with a plastic cricket bat last night.
It was the second assault at the facility in as many days.
Emergency services were called to the correctional facility about 7.30pm on Thursday after reports two male staff members had been assaulted.
The prisoners are understood to have hit an officer at the youth justice centre before the worker fell to the ground and was bashed with a cricket bat, a Community and Public Sector Union spokesman told AAP.
The night manager reportedly saw the officer on the ground, rushed in and took up to 19 blows to the body and head before backup arrived.
The Herald Sun understands the cricket bat used to attack officers was plastic.
The alleged offenders are described as being of Islander appearance, the union said.
Two staff members have been taken to hospital, a justice department spokeswoman confirmed.
A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed that the staff members suffered considerable injuries.
“Investigators have been told two male staff members were assaulted by several youths at a correctional facility on Mollison St about 7.30pm,” the spokesperson said.
“The men received cuts and bruising in the assault and have been conveyed to hospital for treatment.”
Two 18-year-old men and a 19-year-old have all been charged with intentionally cause injury, recklessly cause injury, affray and assault emergency worker.
They have been remanded to appear at the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court today
The incident comes after an officer on Wednesday was stabbed in the neck with a makeshift weapon.
That assault occurred within the high security Ulabara unit and has left the officer with punctured and scraped skin wounds.
A man in his 40s was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
A statement from the Department of Justice and Community Safety on Thursday said:
“Violent behaviour or assaults at youth justice centres are absolutely unacceptable.
“The safety of staff, young people and the community is of the utmost importance.
“New laws are now in effect that strengthen consequences for young people who assault youth justice custodial workers, damage property and for those who escape or try to escape.
“This includes a presumption they will serve their sentences on top of an existing period of detention.”