AN AUTISTIC teen victim of a savage assault at a Sydney shopping mall has a simple, but shocking, answer when asked why he was targeted by the thugs.
SHOCKING video has emerged of a young autistic boy being savagely bashed by a gang of youths at a busy Sydney mall.
The 15-year-old boy is seen on the video standing with his head down as he types a message on his mobile phone. One of the youths shoulders him and causes him to stumble, while others in the gang stand around and watch. And film the encounter.
Then — without warning — another of the group runs at the boy from behind and shoulder charges him with such force the boy is knocked over onto a seat, his head cracking against it, and his mobile goes flying out of his hand and crashes to the ground.
The footage was shown last night on A Current Affair and was shot at Westpoint shopping centre in Blacktown, in western Sydney.
Because of their ages neither the offenders or the victim can be identified.
The boy’s devastated mother told ACA her son could have been killed.
The teenager's attacker runs towards him with a swinging arm.Source:Channel 9
The boy is then knocked over onto the wooden seat when he is shoulder charged.Source:Channel 9
“Those kids could have killed my son. He spent a couple of days in hospital and now he suffers seizures and blackouts as a result of what happened.”
The 15-year-old said he knew why he was targeted. “For fun and entertainment.”
His mother said she was heartbroken to see the footage.
“For me to see his body elevate from the ground and be thrown across onto a seat and hear his head smash onto the seat is an image I cannot get out of my head.”
She said watching it left her in “complete despair”.
The video was given to the mother by a third party. She told A Current Affair she was speaking out to send a message to young thugs and their families.
“I hope they see this and know that the path they are on is a path of destruction.”
She said she actually felt sorry for the kids.
“These parents have a lot to answer for. I do feel sorry for these kids because they’ve only been part of an environment ... They don’t know any better.”
One teenager has been charged with assault over the attack and will appear in court next month. Two others have been cautioned.