By NEIL MERCER
THE Cronulla community has been urged to give up a young woman wanted for her role in the violent race riots that gripped the suburb last December.
Police have been searching for her and five men for six months but exhaustive inquiries have so far failed to identify them.
Update
1 comment:
She was identified as being among a group who pelted police officers, cars and an ambulance with bottles at the height of the violence.
The State Crime Command yesterday released images of the six in the hope it will lead to their arrest. In one of the photos, the young woman appears to be yelling abuse.
The Sunday Telegraph also found images of the woman in the middle of an angry crowd in photographs taken on the day of the riots by our sister paper, The Daily Telegraph.
A police spokeswoman said "only a handful" of women had come under investigation by Strike Force Enoggera, which has so far made 94 arrests and laid 249 charges.
Strike Force Enoggera commander, Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis, said yesterday one of the five men was wanted for questioning over an attack on two young people on a train at Cronulla station.
"We are urging the people depicted in these images to come forward and contact investigators," he said. "In particular, we are looking at a series of violent incidents where bottles were thrown at police officers, vehicles and an ambulance."
Police sources said the violence occurred after a Highway Patrol officer went to the aid of a man of Middle Eastern background trapped by an angry mob. They said the officer had moved through the crowd, protecting the man as best he could.
"The crowd tried to knock him to the ground," one source said.
"Some other police came to the rescue.
"In the process of getting into the police car he was attacked with bottles."
An ambulance leaving the North Cronulla Surf Club with injured people inside also came under attack, with bottles raining down on the paramedics and police.
Some of the images now in the possession of investigators were taken from the on-board video in the Highway Patrol car.
Supt Katsogiannis said most of the photos came from media organisations and were of good quality.
"These images are only being publicly released after exhaustive inquiries by detectives to identify the six people," he said.
Earlier this year, police released photos of 20 men wanted for questioning. So far, 16 have been arrested and charged. Superintendent Katsogiannis said police were still trying to identify the other four.
Carmen Cottaris, the first woman to be charged over the riots, faced court in March this year.
She was allegedly one of 200 people, mostly of Middle Eastern descent, who had gathered at Brighton Le Sands to retaliate against earlier riots at Cronulla.
Cottaris allegedly tried to rip a police officer's helmet from his head.
It is believed only two women have faced charges to date, but this is the first time that police have released an image of a woman wanted in connection with the violence.
Those with information should call 1800 333 000.
The Sunday Telegraph
Post a Comment