An pressing evaluation of safety at Services Australia centres will probably be performed after a Centrelink employee was allegedly attacked whereas working in Melbourne’s north yesterday.
Joeanne Cassar, 55, was rushed to hospital in a vital situation after she was allegedly stabbed within the higher physique whereas working at a Centerlink department at Airport West at about 1.30pm.
Her household are in search of employee’s compensation and contemplating additional authorized motion in opposition to Services Australia, claiming the alleged incident ought to have by no means occurred.
The evaluation will probably be led by former Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton, and can search to stop and deter future incidents.
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten stated he was “shocked and saddened” by the intense incident.
He visited the Airport West workplace this morning, the place he provided help and advised workers that their welfare was his fundamental precedence.
Team chief Cassar was allegedly attacked by a former buyer who had been beforehand banned.
“I could have lost her,” Cassar’s husband Andrew Giusti advised 9News.
“She could have died or she could have ended up in a wheelchair. I’m mad as hell with what has happened and it shouldn’t have happened.”
Arnold Thomas Becker lawyer Allanah Goodwin advised 9News it wasn’t adequate.
“Joeanne deserves to feel let down,” she stated.
“People deserve to be safe at work. From what we understand, in this case Joeanne was actually proactive.”
According to police, the accused, 34-year-old Elijah Chase, was advised to go away the department yesterday morning.
They say Cassar locked the door, initiating a screening course of for every buyer, to guard her workers.
It’s claimed she was ordered to open the doorways.
Police allege the accused returned at about 1.30pm and stabbed her.
“She laid in that position in a pool of blood until I got there, which was about 25 minutes later,” her husband stated.
“She said to me ‘thank god it was me and not one of my co-workers’.”
“I got down on the floor and I talked to her and told her I was there and to hang on.”
The accused appeared in court docket and didn’t apply for bail.
9News understands this wasn’t the department’s first brush with violence, with one other employee assaulted 18 months in the past in an unrelated incident .
Source: www.9news.com.au
