Racist, violent and aggressive comments in the wake of an alleged attack on two 12-year-old Aboriginal children in Mildura have caused widespread emotions of "grief, anger and despair" among Aboriginal communities in Victoria.
Last week, two 12-year-old Aboriginal boys were hospitalised with serious injuries after a man allegedly chased and struck them with a ute in Mildura while they were riding a motorised pushbike.
One of the children was flown to the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne in a serious condition. The Mildura Magistrates' Court was told on Wednesday that he suffered a broken arm and leg, broken ribs and sternum, and a collapsed lung, while the other child suffered concussion.
Andrew Brien, 57, from Gol Gol in New South Wales, has been charged with four counts of reckless conduct endangering life, dangerous driving causing serious injury, driving in a dangerous manner and/or speed.
'Blameless' children receive racist abuse
Despite Magistrate Patrick Southey telling the court on Wednesday that some of the online commentary about the "completely blameless" two children had been "outrageous", racist and vigilante comments have inundated social media platforms.
Calls for Mr Brien's alleged actions to be celebrated, and for the children to be killed, have been widespread. Numerous media publications have also failed to mention the children's Aboriginality.
In a statement on Friday, Gellung Warl — a new Aboriginal governance structure containing the First Peoples' Assembly — said the commentary around the two innocent children had been "distressing".
"The subsequent racist and inflammatory commentary immediately preceding the event has been distressing, with misinformation reported by media and spreading online," they said.
"Comments claiming the incident was defensive in nature and trying to shift blame to the two 12-year-old victims, rather than condemn the attack, are abhorrent."
A family member of one of the boys told the ABC: "I witnessed firsthand the physical and emotional impact this incident has had.
"I sat beside my young cousin at Mildura Base Hospital while he was in pain and frightened. My cousin told us that he did not understand why the man was allegedly chasing them," they wrote.
"The boys were scared, and their families have been left dealing with the emotional consequences of what occurred."
On the abuse, they added: "As an Aboriginal family, seeing racist and hateful comments surrounding an already distressing situation added another layer of hurt."
It was alleged Mr Brien crossed the border to the Mildura CBD and began patrolling the area after hearing a business owned by his partner had been burgled.
Police Detective Senior Constable Mitchell Carew was unequivocal about the two boys' blamelessness, telling the court: "I can categorically say these two boys, on this night, are not involved in any offence with the business or elsewhere."
"This isn't a momentary snap," Prosecutor Raphael de Vietri said, as reported by the ABC, arguing it was "horrific offending" and "grossly unjustified".
"He was dead set on mowing those two children down."
Racism is growing
Gellung Warl noted the alleged attack happened in the same week they appeared at a Senate inquiry into racism against First Peoples.
"Over the past three years we have seen an increase in racism, whether that be violent attacks or racist commentary online," they said in a statement.
"This incident has demonstrated what we as First Peoples already know — everyday experiences of racism are on the rise and it's time to call it out."
Jason Kelly, a reserved seat holder representing the Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation in the First Peoples' Assembly, urged "everyone to refrain from hypothesising or spreading misinformation about what has happened and stick to what has been officially reported".
"We know there are those who seek to spread misinformation and create division, and I know the people of the Mildura are better than that," the Wamba Wamba / Mutthi Mutthi man said.
A post shared by Gellung Warl I First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria (@firstpeoplesvic)
Wamba Wamba, Mutthi Mutthi, Barapa Barapa, Wadi Wadi and Yorta Yorta woman and Assembly member Tallara Kelly-O'Brien said racism in real life has dangerous consequences.
"It's not just anonymous online abuse; it is real and violent," she said. "We as a society cannot move forward together if our children don't feel safe. I want to remind mob, that it's important to take care of each other and reach out for support if you're struggling."
Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, Senator Lidia Thorpe said there had not been the "condemnation this heinous crime demands".
"Instead, people online are calling the attacker a hero, encouraging more violence and offering to buy the man a beer," she said. "Why? Because the victims are Aboriginal children — something every news outlet except National Indigenous Times failed to mention."
She alleged major news outlets have allowed comments to fester, largely unmoderated, even when they feature calls for "violence to be celebrated", as the pages benefit "from the clicks".
"No-one should see violence against their children or community being celebrated or joked about," she said.
In a formal letter to Channel Ten's vice president, Martin White, on Thursday, and posted online, Senator Thorpe said the decision to leave up comments on their news page — which "appear to condone further violence" — "allows demonstrably false claims to gain legitimacy and exposes these children and their families to further harm and racism".
"The children and their families should not have to endure a second wave of harm because false claims about them are being allowed to spread beneath a major news organisation's coverage," she wrote.
The comments on the story have now been disabled.
'They pulled out in front of me'
Police prosecutors told the court on Wednesday that Mr Brien allegedly slammed his Ford Ranger into the children in the pedestrian-only mall. He allegedly did not apply the brakes or take evasive action while travelling at close to 80 km/h before his vehicle struck the children.
After CCTV showed him failing to render assistance to one child trapped under his vehicle, he called Triple Zero, telling them, "They pulled out in front of me. It's dark," according to reports from the ABC.
Mr Brien was bailed on Wednesday, with a strict curfew and non-driving instructions, after the magistrate noted the prospect of delay in the trial.
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