Parents ban kids from Westfield Southland after girl’s head allegedly stomped on

Frightened parents are banning their teens from Westfield Southland after horror footage of a girl getting her head stomped was “proudly” posted to social media.

Worried parents are banning their teenagers from visiting Westfield Southland. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Frightened parents are banning their teenagers from hanging out at a popular Melbourne shopping centre after a girl’s head was stomped on during a violent attack.

It’s understood a 15-year-old girl was approached by a group of six youths at Westfield Southland before she was allegedly chased through the centre on Sunday.

Her hair was allegedly pulled and her head was repeatedly stomped near Village Cinemas about 3.15pm.

She was rushed to hospital with serious injuries after she suffered a seizure.

The vicious assault was filmed by one of the youths and “proudly” shared on social media.

A woman, who wished not to be named due to safety concerns, said she was horrified to see the video posted on Snapchat.

“It makes me feel sick to see images of the girl online with those filming, laughing and thinking it’s funny that she’s having a seizure and basically could’ve been killed,” she said.

“The increased violence shows our teens are out of control, the amount of kids out on the street in the middle of the night is also disturbing.

“They don’t care if the police are involved, they are not scared.”

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said a 13-year-old boy was charged with affray and intentionally causing injury.

He will appear at a children’s court at a later date with the investigation ongoing.

Victoria Police on patrol at the shopping centre. Picture: Josie Hayden

It comes as a worried mother told the Herald Sun she banned her daughter from visiting Southland after youths threatened her 12-year-old girl.

“My daughter has faced threats of being bashed, stabbed and smoked,” she said.

“She received threats warning her against visiting specific locations and suburbs due to the risk of encountering violence or physical harm.

“She was verbally approached in a public place and told she would get stabbed.

“She also encountered several cyber-bullying group chats where groups of girls continuously bullied her for hours on end.”

The mum said her daughter was forbidden from hanging out at shopping centres or using public transport.

“In order to ensure her safety, we have to take extra precautions,” she said.

“This involves dropping her off at school later than other students and picking her up before the usual dismissal time.

“She is not permitted to use public transportation for her commute to and from school, or for any other destinations.

“She cannot socialise with her friends at local parks, and we do not allow her to visit public places or shopping centres. These measures are essential to protect her from potential dangers and risks.”

The mum said she felt helpless and angry.

“It’s disheartening that there are no laws to hold these bullies accountable, and there seems to be a lack of legal protection for our children.

“The fact that these kids know they can escape consequences encourages them to persist with their harmful actions, as the law seems unable to intervene and address their behaviour. “I also feel like I have nowhere to turn for help.”

Teenagers have faced threats of being bashed and stabbed.

Another mum said she also banned her 14-year-old daughter from Southland.

“It’s too dangerous, these thugs prey on anyone,” she said.

“They are ruthless and they have a complete disregard for other humans.

“It’s heartbreaking and disgusting to see and as a mother it makes me emotional.”

She said the shopping centre needed more security and a higher police presence.

“The thugs must be kicked out as soon as they are spotted on the cameras,” the mum said. “Most importantly, harsher penalties must apply. They get a slap on the wrist and then they are back the next day.”

Cheryl Laing, who has lived in Cheltenham and Mentone for more than 73 years, said it’s only a matter of time before someone was killed.

“These areas are out of control with youth gangs bashing, stealing, abusing and carrying knives,” she said.

“One of the worst decisions was creating the train station at Southland, I’ve seen so many gangs surrounding the area.

“Security guards at Southland do nothing, I will not go there anymore and worry every time my teenage grandchildren go there.”

In recent data, Crime Statistics Agency revealed criminal incidents soared by 17.9 per cent in Bayside this year.

There were 3334 incidents in 2022 compared to 3931 in 2023.

Scentre Group, who owns and operates Westfield Southland, was contacted for comment.