African teens racially vilified in CBD attack

Despite city leaders highlighting the progress Ballarat has made with racial tolerance, the incident comes as a vile exception to National Refugee Week, which strives to celebrate refugees and their profound contribution to the community.

Benedicta Amedegnato, 18, and Peace Douhadji, 19, were walking with another friend of African descent down Sturt Street at about 7pm earlier this month when a man and woman walking their greyhound dog began to follow them. The man approached the young women and yelled a series of racist slurs and profanities before following them down Armstrong Street as they attempted to escape him. 

“He said our families are all on Centrelink and we were stealing from the government,” Ms Amedegnato said. “Then he told us we were black dogs and we should go back to our own country.”

She said the man threatened to bash the women before unhooking his dog off its lead. He told the dog to attack the women as they fled down the street. Ms Douhadji remained haunted by the incident.

“It made me feel like I was nothing,” Ms Douhadji said. “I wanted to say to him, ‘I’m a human just like you’.”

Ms Amedegnato believed racism was still rampant in Australia.

“As a black person sometimes you can either feel like you stand out for the wrong reasons or you are invisible,” she said. “If it was a child abusing us, it would be different, because they don’t know any better but as an adult it’s really disgusting because they are setting an example for the younger generations.”

It comes a year after an Aboriginal girl from Ballarat was racially vilified while waiting in line for a children's Disney event in Melbourne. Samara Muir, then 3, was dressed as Queen Elsa from the animated film Frozen. The day ended in tears when she was subjected to a spate of racial slurs from a mother and her two daughters waiting in line. The woman told Samara she couldn't be Queen Elsa because of the colour of her skin. The incident sparked public outrage across the world. 

Samara’s mum Rachel Muir said more education of all cultures and religions was needed. 

"White people are no longer the majority, mixed race people are," she said. "It needs to be pushed out there that it doesn't matter what the colour of your skin is, we are all human, we deserve to be treated with dignity and respect." 

Nigerian-born Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council chairman Constantine Osuchukwu condemned the attack but said it was an isolated incident.

 “The racists are a minority and they do not in anyway reflect the goodness and generosity of the majority of Ballarat residents,” Mr Osuchukwu said. “Ballarat is a welcoming, open and caring community.”

Mayor Des Hudson said the incident wasn’t reflective of the view held by the majority of people in the city.

“I’m absolutely appalled and disappointed these girls were subject to racially motivated abuse,” he said.

“As a city we have well and truly moved on from anyone being alienated and vilified for their race or religious views. The majority of our community wouldn’t tolerate it. We pride ourselves on being a Refugee Welcome City and of being tolerant of all cultures and religions.” 

He said Ballarat had come along way in cultural acceptance and discussions he had with refugees reflected this. 

“Many have said how supported they feel in Ballarat,” he said.

“In rare incidents where they have been subjected to racism other members of the community have called out and challenged the behaviour.” 

He said the people involved needed to be held accountable and urged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Ballarat police on 5336 6000.