Mornington Peninsula police, teens attacked at wild schoolies parties

Several schoolies have been hit with bricks, as a terrified parent warned “there could have been three deaths” on the Peninsula.

Schoolies celebrations on the Mornington Peninsula have been marred by random attacks on teenagers, leading to the hospitalisation of partygoers.

One attack took place at 11.30pm on Saturday, between Tootgarook and Blairgowrie and involved coward punches on five male teenagers, who were left unconscious.

They were released after a night in hospital but the incident, which involved boys from Penleigh and Essendon Grammar, has sparked fears private school students are being targeted by high school kids and locals.

A family member of one victim said the boys were walking home late at night from a friend’s place.

“They were jumped by five blokes from behind and three were king hit from behind and left unconscious,” he said.

Wild schoolies have flocked to the Mornington Peninsula again.

Schoolies celebrating on the beach.

“Another was hit from behind and another was hit on the head by a brick and had his head smashed.

“There could have been three deaths — they didn’t see who they were but police were called.”

“It could be that they are targeting private school kids.”

Another incident on Saturday night left a teenager needing surgery after he and some friends were hit with a brick in an unprovoked attack.

One parent said such stories were “scary”.

“I’d like to think there is extra police coverage down at the peninsula and other places where schoolies is happening,” she said.

Two schoolies party among their fellow school-leavers.

It comes as a 15-year-old teenager was charged after allegedly coward punching a police officer in Rosebud on Monday night where about 300 teens had gathered at the pier.

According to a police statement, a male police officer was “allegedly king hit from behind in what police described as an unprovoked attack,” when police tried to disperse the partygoers.

The local teen was charged with assault of an emergency worker, reckless conduct likely to cause injury, committing an indictable offence while on bail and resisting police.

Concerned parents are sharing messages on social media, urging teenagers to stay safe.

One social media post contains vile abuse of a Rosebud publican who refused to allow teenagers to drink outside the pub, others show discussion of sales of “ketamine, coke and caps” along with vapes and snorkels, and plans for a “punch-on at Rye”.

The Herald Sun has seen images posted by students in Rye to Snapchat calling out for “ketamine”.

There are also callouts on SnapMaps for afterparties in Rye, Sorrento and Dromana.

One image, posted on Sunday night, also encourages girls to come down to Rye Pier for drinks.

In one video, a teen is seen inhaling a substance from a makeshift bong made out of a Gatorade bottle.

There is also footage of teens taking part in several drinking games using a beer bong.

Students are also reporting a number of thefts occurring at house parties.

One teenage girl wrote on social media: “$300 worth of stuff gone”.

A DJ plays at a schoolies evening doof.

Teens went wild at Rosebud pier on Monday night.

“Who’s coming down to the pier at 10 to watch all the punch-ons?” said another.

In other incidents, students caused thousands of dollars of damage when they held a “rave” on top of a storage shed at Phillip Island that caved in and trapped four people inside.

CCTV shows the schoolies wreaking havoc at The Jetty after thousands of school leavers descended on the coast in record numbers.

Extensive measures are in place to keep teenagers safe as schoolies continues, including a bolstered police presence and hubs with security and door passes.

The strategies have been designed to avoid scenes like those at Rye in 2018 when flares were lit and riot police deployed to control violent schoolies.