A woman allegedly racially abuses a passenger on a Melbourne train. Picture: Channel 9 Source: Supplied
POLICE have identified the woman at the centre of the latest racist tirade on a Dandenong bound train.
A 38-year-old Clayton woman is assisting police with enquiries, Victoria Police media spokeswoman Belinda Batty said today.
She said detectives from the transit criminal investigation unit had started probe into the incident today and confirmed the woman was not a Department of Justice employee.
The victim of the woman's racist rant said she feels like her "dignity has been removed" as a result of the incident.
"Being humiliated in front of a packed (train) full of passengers - it's like your dignity has been removed from you, I’m traumatised by it," the 53-year-old woman told 3AW radio today.
A witness claimed a woman was filmed on a Dandenong-bound service on Tuesday by her victim, who was abused after asking the woman to remove her bag from a seat.
"If my son doesn't want to sit near someone of your race that's totally his opinion and neither do I," the woman says.
"I'm allowed to have my bag here, you don't own the public network, do you? No you don't."
She then closed her argument stating: "I'm not racist, I hate everyone equally."
Do you know this woman? Email news@heraldsun.com.au or call our news desk on 9292 1226.
The victim, who moved to Australia from the Philippines 25 years ago, said wanted a specific law introduced that will punish people who racially attack others on public transport, rather than revenge.
"I am not an authority to say 'OK, I want her charged' because I don’t want any revenge, I just want to talk on behalf of everybody who might suffer the same fate," the woman told 3AW.
"She is just one of the minority of people who will tarnish Australia, she does not represent Australia."
Community outcry
A local cultural group said the spate of racist rants being filmed on public transport was a backward step for Australia.
Ethnic Commmunities Council of the South East chairman Sam Afra said seeing rants like this one dissuaded people participating actively in Australian culture because they don't feel welcome.
“I feel bad and I feel disappointed, because we are working hard to help people understand Australia needs migration and those kinds of comments discourage people to choose Australia as a destination,” Mr Afra said.
“If they don’t feel welcome, they won’t come, they won’t participate, they won’t be part of the migrant story and history of building this great country we call Australia.
“Most people are happy with migrants, happy to go to their neighbours, share a dish, get to know their culture. These dreadful comments set a bad example for Australian people."
'Hurt because I love Australia'
The victim took her daughter off the train at Dandenong station where she pleaded her case with two PSOs.
"I was upset and hurt because I love Australia," the victim told Channel 9.
Passenger Louise Daglish witnessed the attack and said one of the worst comments the offender unleashed was stating the bomb in Hiroshima had not "been big enough".
"She had a lanyard around her neck with 'justice' written on it which she was waving around saying things like, 'I know the law'," Ms Daglish said.
"She was leaning over her trying to get her phone (and) yelling 'I'm going to smash your phone, I'm going to smash you if you don't give it to me'."
Despite the victim claiming to have replayed the footage to the PSOs, no action has been taken over the attack.
"I screamed ... I thought I didn't make a good case to the police," the victim said.
But a Victoria Police spokeswoman said the two PSOs denied the woman presented the footage or told them she had been racially abused, assaulted or personally threatened.
"The PSOs advised her they were not in a position to take action as based on her account of events to them, no offences had occurred," the statement said.
The Department of Justice said this morning that while it was "unable to confirm that this person is employed" by the organisation, "racist behaviour is not tolerated by the department and no public servant should act in a way that brings themselves or the public sector into disrepute".
Springvale Asian Business Association senior advisor Frankie Chen said the racist rants could stop some people from multicultural communities interacting with other races.
“I thought we had progressed, but maybe we haven’t to the degree we all think we had," Mr Chen said.
“It’s a vicious cycle. You become wary. Is this person thinking these things about me? Are they friend or foe? We just put our heads down, work hard and don’t try and give them ammo.”
Mr Chen said he was heartened to see people standing up for the victims of the racist tirades.
“It was positive to see other people stand up and say this is not the Australia that people should remember,” he said.
- with Michael Randall, Dandenong Leader
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