This archive report was first published on 22 November 2019.
On November 20, 2019, a shocking incident occurred at a cafe in Sydney's west, where a 43-year-old man allegedly attacked a 31-year-old pregnant woman, who was 38 weeks pregnant at the time.
According to eyewitnesses, the man approached a table of three women wearing headscarves and, without provocation, lunged over the table to punch and kick the pregnant woman.
Security camera footage showed the man delivering several frenzied punches, causing the woman to fall to the ground, before he stamped on her. Bystanders intervened, wrestling the assailant away.
Police charged the suspect with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray, and he was denied bail. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, but police left open the possibility of additional charges being laid.
The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) condemned the attack, stating that the man was heard yelling anti-Islamic hate speech at the victim and her friends.
AFIC president Rateb Jneid described the attack as 'racist and Islamophobic' and called for it to be treated as such.
Police inspector Luke Sywenkyj praised the bravery of bystanders who intervened in the assault, saying that the victim may have sustained more serious injuries if they had not acted quickly.
The pregnant woman was taken to hospital following the attack and was later discharged.
A recent study by Charles Sturt University found that Islamophobia in Australia is a persistent issue, with women wearing headscarves being particularly vulnerable to harassment and intimidation.
