A vicious attack was committed this week by two Australian teenagers in Sydney, Australia on a disable Canadian that has left him in hospital. The attack was on Heath Proden, 35 years of age. New South Wales police, which is the oldest and largest police organisations and one of the biggest in the English speaking world, indicated that Heath Proden was waiting for a train following a concert he had went too in Sydney. Then these two teenage boys approached him. It's really unbelievable in all that happened. There after beaten repeatedly. Heath Proden tried to leave but was punched in the face and knocked from his wheelchair while security surveillance captures and was witness throughout the entire crime as it was being committed. Video security surveillance of this attack displayed these two teens stomping, punching, and hitting with a metal bar pried from Heath’s wheelchair. Now what on earth were these kids on? Where they on something or did they have a history of being young offenders, or I would really like to know more with regards to the teenagers. This took place in Australia but these acts are happening everywhere. Especially young offenders and they are not just the poor kids no - many are from very affluent families. I am not sure with these two teenagers. Yet this was an incident that hit the airwaves here in Canada and all over the world especially within Europe. It was a case of not just one act this is what amazes me the most is that it all took place very fast but there was a continuation of a criminal act by these two teenagers. They ran off but then returned and beat him some more. The 16 year old faces assault and robbery charges and a second teenager surrendered to the police authority after the crimes were committed. Heath Proden is from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Heath has been in a wheelchair for ten years after a snowmobile accident.
He left Canada for an Australia trip with his girlfriend in November with the plans to return in six months bring him back in the month of May. After the beating Heath went into the hospital for a surgery to relieve swelling on his brain. He suffered a fractured skull in the attack, police said. Police Commander/ Superintendent, Wayne Cox indicated the multiple attacks were all in duration of merely three to five minutes. All these new technical surveliance systems certainly do more good, yet it still remains that there are personnel that are operating these systems. I was just at one yesterday here where there are five large LCD screens, and there is a special constable which sits and over watches everything and has a fleet of other constables that surround the portions of the insides of the university as well as the grounds. I was obtaining a special allowance to take pictures around the campus. So to some extent I can certainly understand what this train station employee was watching and I kind of think that this employee was a special constable perhaps with a different name but yet one that receives two years training by the city or federal police force there. You would think that a security surveillance employee would act accordingly especially while watching this crime. Now here is my last question why didn’t the train station employ immediately dispatch in house security? He was sitting there and watching it while it was taken place. He described the attack as being a calculated intentional assault. Within Cox's experience it's one of the most serious attacks that he has ever seen especially when a person is disabled and confined to a wheelchair. As these two teenagers repeatedly returned back and continually assaulted Heath. I believe there is more too this story and there are more besides the kids, that are accountable within all of this.
Again I wish and will mention that this does not just take place in Australia. It takes place in nearly every country. However there is much more to this story.
OMG, I think I saw this on the news...man what the heck? It's just terrible.
ReplyDeleteHow sickening. But we all knew some teens like that growing up. At least, some of us did. Bullies always pick fights they know they won't lose. They're a sad bunch, especially in this case. I hope the poor victim fully recovers.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering too where everybody else at the train station was at, why did no one do something? There had to be more people around than just the two boys and the victim.
ReplyDeleteI watched this the other night on tv.
ReplyDeleteOne of the first thoughts that came to me was, if only he had a gun.
Anyway I hope his brain injury as well as physical injuries heal quick, as I think he already has enough to deal with, without something like this also.
GG there is much more to this story, and there are more accountable to this than what meets the eye. The police force there are the oldest within the english speaking world as well as the largest. Something is wrong within this story and there are more that are accountable within all of this. Yet I don't know the condition of Heath. There was a special constable observing all of this and I dare to say that there is some onus on the police there.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend works within corrections here. He started out working for ten years with young offenders and yeah there is. Doug this was not one act it was a repeated act.
ReplyDeleteIt can happen here, there, anywhere but sometimes I feel that these teens really should be prosecuted as adults. I don't know what the shape of Heath is right now but just think of a disable guy that has two teens that plan this out and within 3 to 5 minutes commit not just one crime but multiple.
This is far past bullying if you ask me.
John I hope so as well. I heard it on the radio the other day and then I have been over watching it for a while.I hope as well that he recovers and then I think there are some options that family should take with regards to filing a court action with the police force. Due diligence was in now way served...
ReplyDeleteHi Cindy....yeah me as well, I don't know this Heath, but when I really looked into it and as well called a friend here whom has been following this as well and is on the force, this can happen in any country. But this is terrible and negligent on the part of the police.
ReplyDeleteThis is a premeditated act and wish, the offenders should be treated as an adult and should be punish to the fullest extent of the law.
ReplyDeleteA barbaric act indeed. Imagine, attacking a helpless, disabled victim. Can't understand why authorities didn't even bothered giving help to the victim considering it was being watched as it is televised and video hooked up by the centralized security surveillance machine. Something is terribly wrong with the minds of the people who were watching that barbaric act. They should be send to a Psychiatric together with those Aus kids [well, i don't considered them as kids. One who Displayed a criminal acts like that should be given a thorough investigation. They must be out of their mind and shouldn't be allowed to roam the city.]
How terrible xx
ReplyDelete.I,m sorry to hear about this ..its a terrible...incident ..sometimes you can lose faith in some fellow humanbeings ..:(
ReplyDeleteWhat makes these teenagers so filled with rage? There is no excuse for violence, and drugs is certainly not an acceptable excuse, either. They seemed to have taken pleasure in beating up this poor defenseless man. In my opinion, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of their age. The harm brought upon the victim in this case goes far beyond the physical to probable psychological damage that he may never recover from.
ReplyDeleteno respect for life, sad
ReplyDeleteThis is a sad statement on society.
ReplyDeleteMaryann, I think he will do fine I don't know what shape he is in. Violence like this is something that really is far beyond what is know as this "lost young generation". This was atypical. I think that there will be more information coming out with time on this. There are three areas I look at. The police force, the parents (if there are parents around or exist), and these young offenders. There still is this thing called accountability and abiding the law.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree
ReplyDeleteNot all teenagers are like this in most cases what I had found by way of a few friends of mine that work within the police system and within another areas is that most of these kids never have had a functional life. There are no ethics nor values taught. Seemingly there is a higher percentage of youth that feel they have that special entitlement.
ReplyDeleteYet this act does go beyond that. And it's very sad. But on the good side hopefully this man will come out of this alright that is the most important thing.
Danette yeah it is. But all of society is not like this but this so below the the standards of life.
ReplyDeleteNot all but some.
Jimi your wiser than you illustrate within your writes it's a compliment. Underneath it all it's obvious to see that your brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI don't you know Caroline...I really don't. Yet this is a tragic situation that happened this week.
ReplyDeleteYou said it all! Yet I don't think all criminals have a disorder I think that they have not been brought up with any set values.
ReplyDeletehow horrific! prayers go out to him!
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely awful, poor man I do hope he make s a full recovery and manages to cope with the psychological effects on him of such a vicious attack. So hard to imagine what on earth motivates people to do such things. I think we really need to understand why any one would do this.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I don't have a TV. This kind of thing makes me physically ill.
ReplyDeleteI have a threefold hope...that Heath recovers with no permanent damage physically or mentally, that those responsible for stopping it will be held accountable severely, substantially, & that these "kids" be prosecuted as adults, not juveniles.
This kind of thing has been happening in the U.S. for some time, & is increasing. Hate crimes, fatal attacks, torture. There are many factors involved. My belief is that anger is the greatest; our youth have incredible anger in them, & we need to know why. (I have some theories.) Yes, mental disorders too, many are born with this, & I've seen this in young ages...as young as six or seven, where boys abuse the most vulnerable; animals, children smaller than themselves. Such children can't be taught values, but can be controlled. It's also true that even a "normal" child growing up without guidelines may follow the pack to destruction of others, & self.
We, meaning the U.S., have been too lenient on sadistic, malicious "kids." Not that more severe punishment would deter those who have a propensity for violence, no matter what the cause, but we must keep them OUT of society. Perhaps forever, depending on their crime, I don't know.
I put my head in my hands & think, at this very moment, how many people are being murdered, how many children are being abused, how many are starving.
I found this interesting: "I'm wondering too where everybody else at the train station was at, why did no one do something? There had to be more people around than just the two boys and the victim."
People don't want to get involved. Yet, if there's a traffic accident, you can bet everyone will slow down to view the bizarre. What does this say?
And yet some people will say all's well with the world, no need to change.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it happens too fast for intervention in these cases.
On some level, society sends the message that this is possible behaviour. Just look at the games.
So true, DJ.
ReplyDeleteI think it was very late as he was coming returning after going to a concert. But it is what it is Lucija. In this case there was a person observing the entire event on surveillance.
ReplyDeleteThere is good and bad that will always exist within society. Yet the behavior is unacceptable DJ, but I think for the most part we make our own worlds what we wish. Yet there is always that human condition of a category of people or situations like this. I don't promote this. That is easy to see, but what about the games? Are you referring to the paralympics?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I think that there was enough time to intervene...the average time frame.
In my humble opinion there are many levels within society. And many different behavioral style, even the extreme, lets hope the extremists are matched up with good security systems that enforce our way of freedom. If they did not exist we would not have what we have today.
What is referred to here with "games" is it the Olympics?
ReplyDeleteI was mainly thinking of the video games where the goal is to beat, kill, anything that moves.
ReplyDeleteI see I have just arrived home a little while ago and I know what you mean DJ by the way Happy Birthday to you.
ReplyDeleteThis Hence has had a surgery done now on his brain and the family is taking this to court - I thought I would make mention.
ReplyDeleteStories like this bring a lot of questions to mind, certainly. Hope the truth comes out, and that Proden recovers fully from the bad experience.
ReplyDeleteThe saddest part of the whole story I think will be that the Lil B*@#$%^s will get some ridiculous Sentence, that does not fit the crime. In Canada we see it all the time. Example a group of kids outside a party swarm a boy hit him with bottles, boots, and an "axe" who takes an axe to a party? The trio got stupid sentences, and the poor attacked boy received a life time in a wheelchair w/ serious brain, spinal damage. In the Court house one of the attackers was caught laughing and giggling as he rushed to get away from the News cameras.
ReplyDeleteBut "They had troubled Childhoods..." What a nice B.S. excuse which seems to be used ALL the time, to excuse people for the horrific crimes they commit. Last week in Edmonton a suspended employee goes to work and shoots two of his co-workers then himself... In the states a guy bloggs about getting revenge with the IRS, then flies a plane into an IRS Building..
Where are we heading....?