Four teenagers were arrested on suspicion of affray. Their age ranges from 15 to 18 years old.
The police issued a statement saying that they received a report at about 1:40am on 28 November that there was a fight at the passage of the Marina Park.
Preliminary investigations revealed that two men, aged 27 and 31, were attacked by a group of teenagers for staring at them. The two suffered multiple injuries and were sent to hospital for treatment while conscious.
One of the teenagers involved later uploaded a photo of a victim lying on the ground after the attack on his social media account.
The police launched further investigations, reviewed the CCTV footage, confirmed the identities of the suspects, and arrested them within 16 hours of receiving the report.
The four were charged in court today (Nov 30). If convicted of the crime of intentional injury with common intention, they can be fined up to $5,000, imprisoned for up to three years, or both.
Police statistics released last year, showed that the number of people aged 21 and below arrested for rioting has steadily dropped over the last decade, from 462 cases in 2011 to 150 in 2020.
Observers said that the falling numbers reflected efforts by the police to clamp down on organised crime – in recent times, multiple operations against gang activities have been conducted, and those arrested included individuals below the age of 21 – with some as young as 16.
Figures from the police also reveal, however, that the number of those aged 21 and below arrested for causing serious hurt rose from 62 cases in 2011 to 77 in 2020. This suggested a shift away from mass brawls toward settling disputes one-to-one or in smaller groups.
Social workers and counsellors speaking to another news outlet said that today’s young people are increasingly desensitised and there is the danger that this sets the standards in terms of the norms and values of what is okay. This is further layered onto an appetite for capturing and spreading incidents of violence in hopes of gaining virality, the act takes on a life of its own, with an added dimension of “broadcasting” power over a victim.
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