Shocking moment dad hurls girl, 4, into shop's security checkpoint
DISTRESSING CONTENT WARNING: A shocking case of violence against a child has been caught on a security camera.
A Sunshine Coast father has been jailed over the incident, which happened at Nambour Plaza last month.
The vision starts like a typical shopping centre scene, with people going about their day.
Suddenly, a four-year-old girl is dragged into the picture and her small body is hurled at a security checkpoint.
Her father, who is her attacker, acts as if it is not a big deal and keeps walking.
Instead of pretending they did not see the incident, shoppers took a stand against the violence – alerting security and following the man, which eventually led to his arrest.
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“To see people speak up about domestic violence is really pleasing. It means that we as police, we as a community, can actually intervene,” Sunshine Coast Police Superintendent Darryl Johnson said.
On Thursday, Magistrate Maxine Baldwin agreed, saying: “We need people to call this behaviour out.
“She was a defenceless little child.
“There’s absolutely no regard for her well-being or treatment.”
The father was already serving a suspended sentence for assaulting a neighbour who tried to intervene during a separate domestic incident.
He was jailed for 21 months with a parole release date set for next January and ordered to have no contact with his children.
The child did not suffer physical injuries.