Image: Eastgardens Assault Petition
A violent attack on a Chinese couple in Eastgardens has sparked widespread outrage, prompting more than 29,000 people to sign a petition calling for stronger action against racially motivated violence.
The couple were allegedly attacked by a group of teenagers outside their Eastgardens apartment complex last week.
A woman was looking for her lost keys with her husband inside the courtyard of a unit complex in Eastgardens around 5:15pm last Wednesday when a group of around seven teenagers began hurling verbal abuse at them. The couple tried to leave to avoid confrontation, but one of the teens allegedly grabbed her clothing which resulted in a fall.
While she was on the ground, the group allegedly kicked and punched the 42-year-old.
Her husband attempted to intervene but was also confronted by the group. He stepped back and contacted police, after which the group fled the scene.
The woman sustained facial injuries, bruising to her back and fractured fingers.
Teenagers charged with alleged assault of Chinese couple
According to NSW Police, two girls have been charged over the alleged assault of the couple. The pair were taken to Maroubra Police Station and each charged with one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company of other(s) and affray.
As part of ongoing investigations, five more children have been arrested in relation to the incident.
Last Thursday, a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were arrested. The boy was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company of others and affray, and granted conditional bail to appear at a children’s court on Monday, 16 June 2025.
The 16-year-old girl is expected to be dealt with under the Younger Offenders Act at a later stage.
The following day, three more teenagers, two 14-year-old girls and a 13-year-old boy, were arrested at Maroubra Police Station. All three have been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company of others and affray, and granted conditional bail to appear at a children’s court.
The incident has reignited concerns about community safety and discrimination, with advocates urging authorities to take immediate steps to prevent further attacks.
Thousands call for end to racially targeted violence
Since the brutal assault, more than 29,000 people have signed a petition called, “Stop the Violence: Tougher Laws for Violence Teens After Eastgardens Assault”.
The petition highlights that this is not an isolated incident, with reports of other individuals being harassed by the same or similar groups of teenagers in nearby Green Square, including acts of “spitting, mocking and intimidation”.
“Many more Chinese victims have shared similar experiences on social platforms such as Xiaohongshu (RED), revealing a concerning pattern of racially targeted violence. These teenagers act with impunity because the law is not acting as a deterrent,” writes the petition’s initiator, T Tang.
The petition has called the NSW Government to “urgently reform” youth criminal justice laws.
Key requests include:
- Lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 10 for serious violent crimes.
- Introduce mandatory minimum penalties for teen group assault and racially motivated violence.
- Deny bail to repeat violent youth offenders.
- Permit media and public access to limited information in serious youth violence cases.
- Establish a formal reporting channel for racially motivated attacks against minorities.
The petition states, “We believe in rehabilitation — but we also believe in accountability. Justice should not depend on the age of the perpetrator, but the harm caused to the innocent.”
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