Mum told to stay quiet after man fondled himself in front of girl at Lilydale Village toilet
A DISTRAUGHT mum whose daughter was watched by a man fondling himself while she used a public toilet was told not to make a police statement because he was known to have an intellectual disability.
A DISTRAUGHT mother fears nothing will be done after a frightening incident in which a man fondled himself in front of her little girl in a Lilydale shopping centre toilet block.
The single mum was horrified after her 11-year-old daughter returned from the toilet saying the man stood watching her as she washed her hands at Lilydale Village shopping centre in Anderson St, on Sunday, February 5.
She went to the police, but said they suggested she not make a statement as they believed the man lived at a nearby supported residential unit for intellectually disabled people.
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While the mother said she would not have usually let her daughter go to the toilet alone, she was stuck at the checkout, so let her go by herself.
The mum said after her daughter left, a woman in the queue said she had seen a man behind her walking towards the toilets with his hands down his pants.
She said she saw the man walk away from the toilets a short time later – still with his hands down his pants.
When the girl came out she said, “Mummy, he was watching me in the toilet”, the mother told Leader.
The mother said she believed the man had not been not charged and she had been advised by police against making a statement.
She was told the man had intellectual disabilities and could be from a nearby supported residential unit, which is near a primary school, and she was worried about public safety.
“If they can’t keep him secure, then that’s not the place for him,” she said. “This is where the system fails people.”
Knox Police Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team’s Sergeant Craig Clover said the man had been identified and the investigation was ongoing.
Angela Gore, spokeswoman for Lilydale Village owners JLL, said the company was aware of the incident and had boosted security.
Originally published as Mum told to stay quiet after man fondled himself in front of girl at Lilydale Village toilet
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