Group of 30 teenagers assaulted two girls in Newcastle
About 30 teenagers attacked two girls aged 14 and 15 at Newcastle beach, with one hospitalized.
The incident happened between the Newcastle beach light rail stop and Pacific Street on Sunday afternoon. Mobile phone footage showed a group of teenagers, mostly girls, chasing and cornering one victim, a 14-year-old.
More than a dozen others chanted and recorded the assault on their phones. The second victim lost clumps of hair and was hospitalised.
Older teenagers alerted police. Both mothers said young people face few consequences for violence and social media encourages it.
Why it mattersYouth violence that's recorded and shared online with group encouragement shows a cultural problem. Police say they're having trouble addressing it.
AustraliaThis highlights a growing pattern in Australian youth violence where social media documentation enables and encourages group participation in assaults.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 d ago
