Indian youth beaten up in Oz
Wednesday, 12/06/2013
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
MELBOURNE: In an apparent racist attack, an Indian restaurant owner was beaten up and verbally abused by a group of teenagers in Australia’s Ballarat city near Melbourne.
Twenty-two-year-old Himanshu Goyal was bashed up and verbally abused while closing his Bridge Mall eatery about 9.30 pm (local time) on Friday when eight teenagers shouted racial abuse at him while another in the group punched him on the face.
Ballarat police official Matt Hayes said the incident was being investigated and police was viewing CCTV footage and hoped to track down the attackers soon, according to a local media report.
Ballarat mayor John Burt met Goyal at the local hospital on Tuesday and vowed to hunt down the accused.
“Ballarat is a city that prides itself on being welcoming of all and I am disgusted that this type of attack has occurred,” Burt said, referring to the attack which left Goyal with multiple fractures to his jaw.
“I am horrified and disgusted that this type of attack has occurred,” Burt said, adding, “On behalf of everyone in this city I want to express our sincere apology that this has happened to you.”
“We are all on your side and I will make sure these thugs are found,” the mayor said, adding he was prepared to take a stand against racism in Ballarat.
“(It) isn’t just in schools where children need to be educated,” Burt said. “It’s throughout the whole community.” Goyal has suffered facial injuries.
