Kerala Man In Australia Assaulted And Abused By Teenagers At Restaurant

Melbourne/Kottayam: A 33-year-old Indian immigrant from Kerala was assaulted and racially abused by five teenagers at a McDonald's restaurant in Australia's Hobart city on Sunday. Li Max Joy, a nursing student and a part-time taxi driver, alleged that the group hurled racial abuses such as "You bloody black Indians" before attacking him in the car parking in North Hobart. He also alleged that police made no serious efforts to take action against his attackers.

This is the second incident of hate crime against an Indian in Australia within a week. On March 19, a Catholic priest, also from Kerala, was stabbed at a church in Melbourne city, as he was preparing to lead a Sunday Mass. The attacker was later arrested and charged with attempt to murder.

In this new case, Mr Joy said he went to the restaurant for coffee after returning from a trip. The group of teenagers -- four boys and a girl - were already arguing with a McDonald's employee, he told Press Trust of India. Soon, the group began abusing him too but left the spot after the restaurant called the police.

However, the teenagers returned to the area and assaulted Mr Joy. "They were angry at the McDonald's staff but turned their anger on me in the car parking and then inside the store," he said.

Mr Joy was admitted to Royal Hobart Hospital and treated for bleeding wounds, following which a CAT scan and an X-Ray were carried out to check for internal injuries.

After being discharged from hospital, he reported the incident to the police.

Mr Joy, who is from Puthuppally in Kottayam district of Kerala, has been living in Hobart for eight years. He has sought the intervention of India's External Affairs Ministry over the attack.

"The racial mood is definitely changing. It is continuous now. Many other drivers have been abused but not everyone reports it to police," Mr Joy told Australian media.

(With PTI Inputs)