Racially motivated violence in Australia

Tara Ravens:

AN attack labelled by police as the most violent of the Cronulla riot reprisals began when a group of youths yelled 'get the Aussie sluts' and 'get the Aussie dogs' before they stabbed a young man, a court was told today.

Yahya Jamal Serhan, 21, appeared in Bankstown Local Court today charged with affray and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent over the attack outside Woolooware Golf Club in Sydney's south on December 11 last year.

The 21-year-old allegedly used his father's car to drive in a convoy across Sydney on the evening of the riot.

He was arrested at his Chester Hill home last night following a six-month police investigation into the bashing and repeated stabbing of a man on the evening of the race riot at Cronulla.

According to police facts presented to the court today, Serhan and three of his friends stopped at Woolooware about 10pm.

There they surrounded a group of two men and two women, crying out: "Get the Aussie Dogs" and "Get the Aussie sluts".

When a man, known only as Dan, responded to the insults, he was knocked to the ground and kicked in the face and body.

The 26-year-old was then stabbed twice in the left thigh and three times in the back.

The attack ended only when the 10cm blade snapped off in the victim's back, narrowly missing his spine, the court was told.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Brett Eurell said the men used chains, a piece of wood and a knife in the attack.

"It was a racially motivated, unprovoked reprisal attack," he told the court.

"It is one of the most grievous crimes that would ever come before this court."

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