Woman charged after Muslim women allegedly attacked at Pacific Epping
A Pascoe Vale woman who allegedly targeted Muslims including a pregnant woman because they were wearing head coverings has been remanded in custody.
Police & Courts
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A woman has been charged after she allegedly assaulted two Muslims, including a pregnant woman, at a shopping centre in an attack Anthony Albanese labelled as “outrageous”.
Detectives on Wednesday arrested Suzan Gonulalan, 31, over the alleged incident that unfolded at Pacific Epping last week.
The Pascoe Vale woman was charged with unlawful assault and reckless and intentionally cause injury.
Ms Gonulalan fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for the first time on Wednesday night.
Police allege Ms Gonulalan attacked a 30-year-old pregnant woman at 1.10pm last Thursday before a 26-year-old woman was pushed to the ground 10 minutes later.
It’s alleged Ms Gonulalan targeted the women, from Wollert and Lalor in Melbourne’s north, because they were wearing head coverings.
No details about the incident were aired during the brief hearing.
The court heard Ms Gonulalan had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had a suspected acquired brain injury.
Speaking from the dock, Ms Gonulalan said she was upset about her mother.
She was remanded in custody overnight and will undergo a Forensicare assessment before returning to court on Thursday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the alleged attacks were “un-Australian”.
“I find this outrageous that people were assaulted for who they are,” the Prime Minister told ABC Melbourne.
“Attacks on the basis of people’s race or their religious belief are un-Australian, they are outrageous, and the perpetrators should be held fully to account and face the full force of the law.”
Premier Jacinta Allan said the potentially hate-based crime had “no place” in Victoria.
“The reports of the evil attacks on two young Muslim women are just horrific,” she said.
“This sort of evil, evil, evil, hatred, in this instance, Islamophobia has absolutely no place in our community.”
Ms Allan said new hate speech laws, which were amended in parliament on Tuesday in an attempt to gain support from the Opposition, would “give police more powers to crack down on this evil”.
“It is so concerning to see the rise in hate in our society,” she added.
“Whether it’s the attacks on Muslim women for simply demonstrating their faith, that is unacceptable, the rise of anti-Semitism, that is of absolute evil.”
Ealaf Al-Esawie, who had just started her new job working in childcare, was on her lunch break when she was attacked.
The 26-year-old said she “had done nothing wrong” before she was slapped and punched in the head before being thrown to the ground.
Ms Al-Esawie, who wears a hijab, said the alleged offender did not speak to her at all.
She was helped by two nurses nearby and is now terrified to leave her home.
She said she was left “shocked, traumatised and shaken”.
“I don’t feel safe anymore. I’ve never encountered anything like that at all in my life,” she told the ABC.
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