A 23-year-old international student from China spent her birthday in hospital after being randomly attacked in Melbourne's CBD on Saturday. The victim, who asked to be known only as Kimberlie, was walking on Queen Street when police say a 29-year-old woman struck her in the upper body with an object around 3:40 pm.
Kimberlie, an RMIT student, had just stepped out and was texting a friend when the alleged attacker approached her from the front. 'I didn’t even notice her until her arm swung towards my face and hit me,' Kimberlie told 7NEWS.com.au. 'I think she was aiming for my eye, but my glasses helped protect me.'
She instinctively covered the wound above her right eyebrow and only realized she was bleeding when passersby offered tissues. 'I didn’t know I was bleeding at first. When I reached for the tissue, the blood kept dripping down my face,' she recalled. Kimberlie was taken to hospital, where doctors stitched the deep cut and kept her for eight hours.
The attack occurred on Kimberlie's first weekend in Melbourne and on her birthday. Since the incident, she has been anxious outdoors, struggles to go out alone, and is easily startled by sudden movements. She said she reached out to her university for support but has yet to receive a response.
Police allege the same woman had struck a 22-year-old woman on the same street moments before Kimberlie. The younger woman was treated at the scene for minor injuries. Neither victim is believed to have known the alleged offender.
The 29-year-old woman from Melton South was arrested near the intersection of Queen and Therry streets about 4:10 pm on Saturday. She has been charged with recklessly causing injury, aggravated assault of a female, committing an indictable offence while on bail, and possessing methylamphetamine.
