A group of four off-duty police officers have been robbed and assaulted by a group of 20 aboriginal youths in the troubled outback town of Alice Springs.
The four cops, three women and one man, were walking to a hotel on Barrett Drive along the Todd River walkway at about 2.15am on Sunday when they were attacked near the Stott Terrace bridge, Northern Territory Police said in an appeal for witnesses to come forward.
“The four were approached from behind by a group of about 20 male youths who proceeded to assault them,” a police spokesperson said.
“One female was pulled to the ground and had her bag stolen, another female was punched in the face and kicked multiple times and had her mobile phone taken while the male was also punched and kicked multiple times.
“The group of 20 males then left the area with the 4 victims returning to their accommodation where they have called police. Two female victims were later taken to Alice Springs Hospital for treatment of minor wounds.”
NT Police are yet to provide descriptions of the youths, but sources told Noticer News they were indigenous.
Noticer News contacted NT Police for comment.
Crime rates have skyrocketed in the Northern Territory in recent years, with youth crime rates up 50% since 2020.
Earlier this year Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged $4 billion to build 2,700 homes for Aboriginals in the region – a cost of almost $1.5 million per home.
