A teenager who spat on and threatened two Asian women with a knife after accusing them of bringing COVID-19 to Australia has been arrested and charged.
The 17-year-old girl, whose name was not disclosed, was arrested on Tuesday at her home in Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia, according to 9News.
She was charged with three counts of common assault, using offensive language and two counts of attempting to stalk/intimidate. The teen was given conditional bail to appear in Children’s Court on May 1.
The incident occurred on the corner of Illawarra Road and Petersham Road in Marrickville at 3 p.m. on Monday. The girl, who was wearing a gray shirt and jogging pants at the time, yelled some profanity at the two Asian sisters, identified as 23-year-old Sophie and 19-year-old Rosa Do, as they were crossing the street.
She also spat on Rosa’s face which hit her eye and threatened them with a knife in her bag. Bystanders reportedly helped Rosa wash the spit out of her hair and eye. The two women later visited a doctor before filing an official police report.
“Hate crimes against Asians have increased and I’ve seen disgusting videos from all around the world,” Sophie wrote in her Facebook post. “This is what racism and xenophobia can do.”
