Mildura community leaders call for calm after Indigenous boys struck by vehicle spark hateful online commentary

A vehicle incident in Mildura, Australia, where two 12-year-old Indigenous boys were seriously injured, has ignited a firestorm of hateful public commentary. The boys were allegedly pursued and struck by a ute on August 6. The incident occurred amid an existing backdrop of rising concerns over youth crime in the region.

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People are angry, and people are scared, that's what we're hearing.

Following the incident, social media platforms saw an surge of racist and violent comments. Hundreds of posts blamed the victims and praised the driver, though some users defended the children and condemned the alleged actions of the accused. Andrew Brien, a 56-year-old man, is accused of pursuing the children through a pedestrian mall, believing they had vandalized his partner's business. However, court proceedings revealed the children were "blameless" of any offense that night.

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They're just afraid when there's cars going around, especially the big utes that make the noise; they're actually quite fearful around people.

Community leaders are now working to navigate the tense situation. Kylie Degenhardt, CEO of Mallee District Aboriginal Services, stated that the incident has deeply affected the community, particularly the Aboriginal community, who are fearful for their young people. "They're just afraid when there's cars going around, especially the big utes that make the noise; they're actually quite fearful around people," she said.

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My cousin told us that he did not understand why the man was allegedly chasing them. The boys were scared, and their families have been left dealing with the emotional consequences of what occurred.

Mildura mayor Ali Cupper called the incident and its aftermath a crisis. While acknowledging youth crime as a "genuine issue," she urged residents to process anger constructively. "What we've seen lately in terms of social media is that anger is coming out in really primal responses, in ideas and thoughts and beliefs which do not have a place in a civilised society," Cupper said. She expressed a desire to foster a space for constructive conversations, believing the community can grow from this crisis.

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What we've seen lately in terms of social media is that anger is coming out in really primal responses, in ideas and thoughts and beliefs which do not have a place in a civilised society.