Foreign students targeted in newcastle attacks
International students at the university of newcastle say they are living in fear because of a recent spate of attacks.
There have been dozens of assaults targeting young foreign students on and around the campus.
There are now calls for the police and university to do more before the situation threatens australia's international education industry.
The buildings at the university of newcastle are surrounded by bushland. More than two million trees on campus give the area a sense of natural serenity.
But it seems in the darkness of the evenings, the shadows provide cover for more sinister activity.
Late last week, one vietnamese student was set upon by a gang as he left the university's library.
"four or five young kids tried to attack me with [a] knife and then they tried to steal my money and they tried to steal my stuff," he said.
"so i was really surprised when i saw knives."
It is one of a string of recent assaults on or near the campus. Eleven have been reported to police and about 20 to the student association.
Both believe there are many more which have not been reported.
One international student from the philippines has been assaulted three times. "Recently i haven't been going out of my house, especially at night," he said. "if i do go out at night ... I go out with a taxi ... I don't walk, if it's [a] five or 10 minute distance."
It is believed most of the perpetrators are local teenagers, some as young as 12.
In one case, a group of 20 people ambushed some international students at a shopping centre.
Raising awareness
Although the majority of assaults have been off-campus, veronica meneses says the university has a duty of care to international students.
"certainly the universities do have a duty of care with the international students," she said.
"when you invite someone to do and to pursue studies over here and invest your money in this country, you have a duty of care.
"you have to offer a certain level of safety to those who come in."
Acting vice-chancellor sue gould believes there is no evidence that the attacks are racially-motivated, but she says the university is working with the students to help protect them.
"i think it's all about us making sure that our students understand how to have their own awareness raised," she said.
"we do a lot of things to try and help our international students in that area, to make sure that they can operate safely in what is a quite strange country for them."
'Soft Targets'
Newcastle police have arrested six juveniles since the attacks started and are trying to identify more.
Superintendent max mitchell says most of those cases relate to robbery, not assaults.
"persons who are involved in these robberies are targeting the international students because i think in general they would be considered a soft target," he said.
"what i mean by a soft target is we haven't had any incidents, and thankfully we haven't, where the students have actually challenged those responsible for these robberies.
"so they're carrying cash; they're carrying other equipment such as ipods, mobile phones, etc that are easily taken by those who are responsible."
There has apparently been concern expressed by diplomats from the countries of some of the international students involved.
