Assaulted Gympie mum says nightclubs should be closed down

A GYMPIE mother has vowed to never go out on the town at night again after an assault left her bruised and battered and fearing permanent vision loss.

IMPACT: A model photo depicts the impacts violence has on people’s emotional and physical wellbeing. A Gympie mother recently assaulted believes a culture of violence will see the problem worsen. Picture: Thomas Northcut

A GYMPIE mother has vowed to never go out on the town at night again after an assault left her bruised and battered and fearing permanent vision loss.

The woman, in her early 20s and the mother of baby boy, recently visited a Gympie nightclub with a friend when she was randomly assaulted.

During the attack, the mother said she had a projectile thrown at her face before being punched and kicked on the ground.

Most worrying for the woman is the reality she may have sustained lasting damage to her vision.

She has been to a number of medical appointments on the Sunshine Coast and is waiting for swelling to subside before learning if the vision loss will be permanent.

The mother's experience is the latest in a growing trend of nightlife violence.

Far from cowering after her attack, the woman has spoken out, requesting anonymity for the sake of her son, to warn others of the dangers.

"I don't feel safe in town (at night) and I won't be going out again," the mother said.

"Young people need to realise they are not bulletproof and this can happen to anyone."

The young mum says she had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"That's all it took," she said.

"You don't have to do anything wrong to be caught up in something like this."

The assault victim said it would not be a popular view, but she felt nightclubs needed to be closed down.

"The clubs are just places where people go to get drunk," she said.

"It's not about having a good time like it used to be.

"The whole clubbing scene is about drinking as much as you can before they close and then it's trouble."

The woman also said a culture of violence was also to blame.

"It just doesn't mean anything anymore (to witness violence)," she said.

"It's part of the party scene and the attitude is that there is nothing wrong with it."

The mother hopes for good news regarding her vision and wants others to learn from her experience.

The alleged assault perpetrator has been charged by police and will front Gympie Magistrates Court in coming weeks.

Originally published as Assaulted Gympie mum says nightclubs should be closed down