IT appears to be the vicious attack that many who spend extended periods of time along Hamilton’s streets had been fearing.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A man, who bystanders would later recall looked drunk and had been yelling obscenities to strangers, allegedly confronts a teenage girl sitting on a chair and punches her twice to the head.
Police said the girl, 16, had not said a word before the assault and witnesses said she was lucky not to have received a serious injury.
Since the extra pedestrian traffic appeared following the cutting of the rail line to make Hamilton the end of the line for train passengers, local business operators and residents say the fears of attacks had increased.
Only a fortnight after the Newcastle Herald revealed that the truncation had centralised drug activity and the city’s homeless population in Beaumont Street did the Sunday afternoon alleged assault in front of witnesses take place.
Local businessman John Lis, who saw the incident, said shopowners and locals had feared such an event could occur.
‘‘There are kids that should be at school hanging around with blokes who are homeless, those that are drunk, there are drug dealers and there are prostitutes,’’ Mr Lis said.
‘‘The fear was that something like this could happen.
‘‘I don’t want these guys thinking we are against them, we actually want to help them.
‘‘But there is definitely an element of people hanging around down there and it does make people feel uncomfortable.’’
Mr Lis said the area was attracting a lot of homeless people who used the trains as shelter, and that attracted the bad element.
He said it was up to government agencies and welfare organisations to help local business owners find solutions to make the streets safer.
Mr Lis said the incident was ‘‘very frightening’’.
‘‘We have seen an increase in assaults here, but most are between couples,’’ he said.
Newcastle City duty officer Inspector Gerard Lawson confirmed a 51-year-old man had been charged with common assault.
Inspector Lawson said patrols had increased around Hamilton railway station following the truncation and more officers from the public transport command were also frequenting the area.
‘‘It has not appeared as a crime hotspot although not all the incidents may be being reported,’’ he said.
Originally published as Attack on girl at Hamilton by Newcstle Herald