The police in Kununurra are looking into whether a brutal attack on five Aboriginal men was motivated by racism, as a group of white men wearing balaclavas smashed their vehicle with baseball bats.
The victims, who are between the ages of 18 and 23, felt their lives were in danger when confronted by this group on a remote part of the Great Northern Highway, roughly 30km from Wyndham, on Saturday night.
Due to fears of retaliation, their identities have not been disclosed. One man reported that he was pursued into the bush by at least one white man who yelled, “monkey blood, we like monkey blood.”
The father of one victim expressed that the attack has left the families of the men in shock and he is concerned that they were targeted for being Aboriginal.
“This situation sounds more like something out of Alabama or America, not Australia,” he remarked.
He added that if the police do not take swift action to apprehend the attackers, the situation could escalate. The group was en route to a gathering in Wyndham when they stopped to take a break.
One of the victims recounted that two vehicles, which had been following them for about 70km, came to a halt in front of them, blocking their path.
“One car just stopped and turned on their high beams, and before we knew it, our car was being assaulted with baseball bats,” he said.
“There were around eight of them, all donned in balaclavas, gloves, and long sleeves with pants. Even through the balaclavas, you could still recognize their white skin.”
The men fled into the nearby hills and escaped without injuries. However, a 21-year-old man remained hidden in the bush until daylight because he was too frightened to return to the highway.
The alarm was raised around 9pm on Saturday after the 23-year-old victim managed to hitch a ride to Wyndham with a passing driver.
Kununurra police confirmed yesterday that they are investigating the incident, but declined to comment on the possible motive.
“We are looking into the reported incident and I can confirm that we have been provided with the license plates of two vehicles, which we are currently following up,” the spokesperson stated.