Two teenagers have been charged with wounding after an 18-year-old was allegedly struck on the head with a meat mallet while waiting for a bus in Kingston.
Police confirmed to Pulse that a 14-year-old from Kingston and a 15-year-old from the Huon Valley have been charged over the incident, which happened just after 6pm on Wednesday.
According to a witness who described the attack in a social media post, the young man was allegedly approached by a group of boys who asked him for money, abused him and tried to provoke a fight.
She said when he refused to engage, the group began throwing rocks before one of them allegedly pulled out a meat mallet and struck him once on the head.
The man needed four stitches and was treated at a nearby urgent care clinic. The witness said he did not retaliate.
“He did not fight back, he was trying to avoid conflict and get through the situation,” she said.
The witness said she believed the boys were known to police.
She also raised concerns that several adults were standing just metres away but did not step in.
The incident has prompted Kingborough Council candidate Will Perry to write to Police Minister Felix Ellis, calling for a stronger police presence at the Kingston bus interchange as a deterrent.
“A number of local community members have asked me to advocate on their behalf, regarding their growing concerns about this sort of opportunistic violent crime in the central Kingston business district,” Perry wrote.
Perry has also taken the issue to acting mayor Christian Street.
Both teenagers are due to be dealt with under youth justice laws.
