Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Member for Katherine Jo Hersey says a woman who was brutally bashed on her way home from work is terrified with her alleged attackers back on the streets

Transcript

Member for Katherine Jo Hersey says a woman who was brutally bashed on her way home from work is terrified with her alleged attackers back on the streets · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well, you might recall we spoke with Trent de with
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: from Catherine a few weeks ago about a community fundraiser
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: for a woman who was attacked on her way home
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: from work. Now he'd said at the time that she
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: was beaten by a group of youths to the point
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: where she had to have well about five thousand dollars
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: worth of dental work done.
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: Being on a working visa.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: As I understand it, she wasn't covered either by the
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Australian Health system, having to foot the bill herself, and
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: the community wanted to do their bit to support her,
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: and they certainly did, but the victim has since reached
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: out for further assessment assistance, I should say, turning to
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: a local member, and Joe Hersey is the local member
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: there in Catherine and joins me on the line.
• 0:40
  Speaker 3: Good morning Joe, Good morning Katie, and good morning listeners, Joe.
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: How is this young woman going?
• 0:48
  Speaker 3: Yes, I saw Katie yesterday. I caught up with Lynn,
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: who works at Brumbie's and also at BP and what
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: I was quite amazed is that she is terrified to
• 1:01
  Speaker 3: be out in the general public, which is very sad.
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: After you know, we live in an amazing community and Trent,
• 1:07
  Speaker 3: along with the Capturin Projects Association, had the fundraiser and
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: they raise around about nine thousand dollars and that is
• 1:15
  Speaker 3: just great for our small community. But what's disturbing is
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: that she said to me she was actually going to
• 1:21
  Speaker 3: have some of her dental work done again yesterday. She's
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: put in her victims of crime paperwork. She hasn't heard
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: back from them for over a month. But she also
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: said that the perpetrators that attacked her spent two nights,
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: two days away and then they're now out on the street.
• 1:43
  Speaker 3: So no, I said, were you serious? So I'm actually
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: down in Alice Springs at the moment. I've just come
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: down this morning, so I follow that up again when
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: I get home. But I couldn't believe that she has
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: You know, she is deeply scarred from her experience. She
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: used to walk to work, which she lives not even
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: a kilometer. She literally lived in par street, walk to
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: Brumby's or scooter to BP and now she's got to
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: get her husband to take her to and from work
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: because she's there. She said, she goes to friend's house.
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: She doesn't really want to be out in the yard
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: because these people she knows are out in the community.
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: You know, this is someone who wants to be in
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: our region, holding down two jobs to get ahead, and
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: you know they don't feel safe to be out in
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: the community. Meanwhile, the perpetrators out there, you know, living
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: a life.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: For Riley, it's unbelievable enough.
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: I mean, honestly, if I said what I wanted to say,
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: I'd be swearing on air and I'd end up kicked off.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: But I think that probably everybody listening I would.
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: Like to say quite a few things. Yeah, and people
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: that know me. I don't hold back. No, absolutely ridict
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: killers and our community just have had a gut full
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: of people doing these crimes and just walking away scott free.
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: The police do an amazing job, and I heard you
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: mentioned earlier on the person that jumps off the railway
• 3:13
  Speaker 3: of Catherine Bridge this morning. Meanwhile, police have to put
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: their lives in danger to go into the river which
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: has been in flood potentially could have crocodiles in there,
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: to rescue a person through their own stupidity.
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: My goodness, I mean, it does begger belief.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: I'll go to that incident from overnight in just a second,
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: but before I get there, Joe, tell me what if
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: police told or what if authorities told Lynn?
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: You know, it's obvious I would.
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: I can't imagine how frightened she's feeling, you know, after
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: what has gone on, and then to hear that the
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: alleged defenders are out on the streets like honestly, this
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: poor woman that is terrible.
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: It is because she is a young female that should
• 4:03
  Speaker 3: be able to walk about in the community and feel safe,
• 4:08
  Speaker 3: which that's been taken away from her through this experience.
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: And you know, she hasn't heard from victims of crime.
• 4:15
  Speaker 3: She's put all her paperwork in she said, she hasn't
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: heard from them for over a month. So if the
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: Catherine Projects Association hadn't raised that money, and she is
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: a very humble young woman that does not want to
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: be putting her hand out. But I said, where you
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: don't understand how great our community is that when something
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: like this happens, we all come together. And this is
• 4:39
  Speaker 3: what the great thing is about living in the region
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: and when you know people, you know, everyone backs each
• 4:45
  Speaker 3: other and we all come together to help each other.
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: And that's exactly what that Catherine Community Project Association has
• 4:51
  Speaker 3: done in the fundraising to cover her dental costs for
• 4:55
  Speaker 3: her you know, should she get some victims and crime
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: money hope lead down the track? Well, you know, all
• 5:02
  Speaker 3: well and good? What option she hasn't had anything?
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: Look what options does she have at this point?
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: Do you know?
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: From what she said to you?
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: And and is she going to stay in Catherine because
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: it's a frightening situation now.
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: To be in she is going to stay ind in Catherine.
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: Her husband also has two jobs. And this is what
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: I'm saying. You know that these are people that want
• 5:24
  Speaker 3: to live in the regions. We need workers in the
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: regions and we want people like Lynn and her husband
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: to stay there and you know, hold down jobs, be
• 5:34
  Speaker 3: a part of the community. But we also want them
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: to feel safe. And with the absolute chaos that's going
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: on with the police commissioner, with Natasha Files, we've seen
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: Nicole Manithon come out and be the you know, the
• 5:49
  Speaker 3: spokes for person at the Center for National Resilience. So
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: Howard Springs I mean, is there's some kind of leadership
• 5:56
  Speaker 3: thing going on there because you know, the Chief Minister
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: couldn't even say that there was any damage, you know,
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: but it was just you know, wear and tears. It's ridiculous.
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: What do you reckon, Joe that she's come out and
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: been honest because she wants to.
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: Roller Well, I don't know. I mean, she seems to
• 6:12
  Speaker 3: be the only one with a set at the moment.
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: So you know, I suggest, you know, they all just start.
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: They went into government saying they were going to be
• 6:19
  Speaker 3: open and transparent. Yeah, I talked to people on a
• 6:22
  Speaker 3: daily basis and that is absolutely what they are not.
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: Yeah, hey, Joe Onlyn, is there anything more that the
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: community can do to support her? By the sounds of it,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: Catherine has really rallied behind her anyway, But do you
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: reckon there's anything else that can be done to support her?
• 6:42
  Speaker 3: I think being a very proud young woman and not
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: wanting to ask for anything, I don't know that she
• 6:47
  Speaker 3: would want anything because she's very she doesn't really want
• 6:52
  Speaker 3: to accept the funding for the money for a dental work.
• 6:57
  Speaker 3: But as I said before, you know, that's just what's
• 6:59
  Speaker 3: small commit in these day. Do I think, you know,
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: I'll make sure that I check in on her, you know,
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: every now and then, to see that she's going. You know,
• 7:08
  Speaker 3: she's got a good work crew at Grumbies that are
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: supporting her. Yeah, you know her husband has had to
• 7:16
  Speaker 3: change his start times, she said, because so that she
• 7:19
  Speaker 3: can get to work and feel safe.
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: Yeah, let us know, ye or walk keep us in
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: the loop, let us know, you know, if there is
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: anything further that she needs, because I know that our
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: listeners are a very generous bunch, and you know people
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: have been more than happy to help in some way
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: if they do need that support. Hey, just very quickly
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: on that incident from overnight, what is your understanding of
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: what's happened? Is somebody intoxicated and and you know I
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: jumped off the bridge or what's your understanding?
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: To be honest with you, Katie, I don't know because
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: I actually wasn't in Catherine last night. Yeah, and as
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: I said, I'm down in Alice Wrings. But I have
• 7:59
  Speaker 3: to tell you Alex Springs is looking beautiful at the moment.
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: It is green, the weather's beautiful, it is it is
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: just really lovely. It's good to him, apart from the
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: fact that I've heard that he's jumped off the high
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: level bridge. Now the water is up a little bit
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: than normal, so fortunately for him. But you know that
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: might have been something you did thirty years ago, but
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: not these days. You know, I cannot believe that somebody
• 8:26
  Speaker 3: would jump off the bridge and go into that water
• 8:29
  Speaker 3: because there are known to be crocodiles in there, and
• 8:32
  Speaker 3: I just think it's really poor that the police have
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: had to put themselves in danger, which they do for
• 8:39
  Speaker 3: the community, that's their job, you know, but not through
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: absolute stupidity.
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: Well Joe Hersey, yeah, I reckon a lot of people
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: will be scratching their heads this morning. Joe Hersey, the
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: Member for Catherine, the COLP Member for Catherine. Always appreciate
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: your time. Thank you so much for having a chat
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: with us today.
• 8:58
  Speaker 3: Thanks Katie, and thankfully have a good day you too.
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: Thank you