Court told about 13-yr-old girl’s alleged targeting Jews
A Melbourne teenager accused of a series of offences, including alleged antisemitic targeting, has had her bail refused after a court heard that she deliberately sought out members of the Jewish community.
The 13-year-old girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared in a children’s court on Monday facing 109 charges, including reckless conduct endangering serious injury, theft, motor vehicle theft and burglary.
The court heard allegations that members of Melbourne’s Jewish community were among those targeted. Police allege the girl shouted antisemitic abuse at pedestrians in Hampton, Ripponlea and Caulfield, and in one incident swerved a stolen car towards a Jewish family in Ripponlea, forcing them to run for cover.
Investigators also uncovered a web search on her phone asking “where do Jews live”, which police said pointed to a targeted element in her behaviour.
“It shows us it is targeted. She is going out of her way to target a certain community,” Detective Senior Constable Jarryd Grey told the court.
The allegations form part of a broader pattern in which the teenager is accused of repeatedly using stolen vehicles dangerously. In one incident on March 30 in Brighton, she allegedly attempted to strike a cyclist with a car door before driving into the 45-year-old man, knocking him to the ground.
The court heard that within three minutes of that incident, the girl allegedly searched online for the penalty for running someone over.
“It’s quite troubling … we realised it’s premeditated,” Det Grey said.
The victim continues to suffer physical and psychological effects, including neck pain, dizziness, speech difficulties and distress during the night.
Prosecutors said the girl’s alleged offending had escalated rapidly, with the court told she was allegedly offending at an average rate of 1.45 incidents a day over a 74-day period. Police also said she appeared motivated by attention, closely tracking media coverage and social media engagement linked to her alleged actions.
“She thinks it gives her status in her group, which is really concerning,” Det Grey said.
Opposing bail, prosecutors described the risk to the community as severe, citing the frequency and alleged targeted nature of the offending.
The defence argued the teenager was willing to return to school and that Youth Justice could supervise her in the community.
However, the magistrate rejected the application.
“The risk to the community is overwhelming,” he said.
The girl is due to return to court in 21 days.
By William Ton/AAP
