Adelaida: A 23-year-old student from India was the victim of an alleged racially-motivated assault in central Adelaide, Australia. Charanpreet Singh is now in hospital. Doctors say that he suffered brain trauma and multiple facial fractures.
The attack has led to widespread condemnation and renewed demands for more safety for international students.
According to a report by The Australia Today, had gone out with his wife on Saturday, July 19, to see the city’s light displays when the attack took place at about 9.22 pm near Kintore Avenue. The couple had just parked their car when they were reportedly surrounded by a group of five men.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers jumped out of another vehicle and launched into the assault without provocation, striking Singh with what appeared to be metal knuckles or sharp objects. Disturbing footage shared on social media showed the men shouting racial slurs like “F*** off, Indian” as they kicked and punched him before fleeing.
Singh told the media that the incident began as a dispute over parking but quickly turned into what he described as a hate crime. “They just said, ‘F*** off, Indian’, and after that they just started punching,” he recounted.
“You can change anything in your body, but you can’t change colours,” he added.
Police said that they arrested a 20-year-old man involved in the attack from Enfield on Sunday. However, the remaining accused are still at large. The police have sought public assistance in tracing them. CCTV footage from the place of occurrence is also being scanned.
The attack has triggered widespread anger among the expatriate Indian community, with many raising concerns on whether immigrants – particularly students – are safe in that country. Support for Charanpreet Singh has flooded social media, with many demanding tougher measures to curb racially motivated violence.
According to 9News, South Australia premier Peter Malinauskas denounced the attack, describing it as utterly unacceptable.
“Any time we see any evidence of any racial attack, it is completely un-welcome in our state and just not consistent with where the majority of our community are at,” Malinauskas said.