Saturday Magazine

19 May 2018

Paramedic attack sentencing

Current Affairs, Health, Podcast, Society & Culture

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Today we speak with Paul Judd, one of the Paramedics violently assaulted who saw his attackers freed on exceptional circumstances.

We also have Steve McGhie, Secretary of Ambulance Employee Association in Victoria @aeavicunion and Matthew Guy @MatthewGuyMP leader of the opposition & leader Victorian Liberal Party @LiberalVictoria who agrees that bipartisan action needs to be taken immediately.

Statement to JOY FM – from Ambulance Victoria CEO Tony Walker

When I reflect on weeks like this week, I feel immensely proud to lead a workforce that is committed to serving the Victorian community.

But I feel even prouder this week to be part of that community who stood up, spoke up and showed their unwavering support for their ambulance service.

Our community had a rare insight into the everyday work of paramedics and some of the challenges they face in the job each and every day.

I know the stories on the attacks on paramedics by the patients they are trying to help, families who they are there to support, or bystanders who are close by, have confronted many of you and may have even come as a surprise.

While the cases this week have made national news headlines, sadly this is not new news to us.

The reality is that every 50 hours, a paramedic is subjected to these type of violent attacks.

Occupational violence is not what I expect my workforce, or the workforces of my colleagues in other health and emergency service agencies, to face when they come to work to help serve their community.

We have worked hard over the past few years to ensure that the safety of paramedics is the number one priority here at Ambulance Victoria.

We know violence affects more than just the victim of an attack. It affects their friends and families, their colleagues and their community. It affects us all.

What this week has shown me is that violence against paramedics is not what the community either expect…nor is it what they are prepared to accept.

We believe Tuesday’s County Court decision to allow those people responsible for attacking two of our paramedics – Paul and Chenaye – was disappointing as it missed an opportunity to send a strong message that it is never, in any circumstance, OK to attack a paramedic.

But we have been heartened that the extraordinary reaction from the wider community… has sent a very strong message itself.

For your incredible show of support… we say thank you.

You know we’ve always got your back. It’s so nice to know you’ve got ours.

Statement from Ambulance Employee Association in Victoria secretary Steve McGhie

Today Tuesday 15 May County Court judge Barbara Cotterell upheld an appeal against incarceration for Ms Amanda Warren and Ms Caris Underwood who seriously assaulted Paramedics Paul Judd & Chenaye Bentley in Reservoir in March 2016.

The two women were facing incarceration for 8 months and 4 months respectively as an order of the Magistrates court in December 2017. They have only served 14 days jail in total until today’s decision.
This outcome has disgusted and disappointed paramedics across Victoria. They have grave concerns about the specific legislation that was introduced in 2014 that was to protect them in their work from obstruction and assault.

Judge Cotterell obviously thought it was more important not to jail the two offenders rather than consider the serious damage they have done to Mr Judd’s leg. He sustained serious leg fractures and has had three surgeries and has been off work for two years.

It will be some time before he can return to his ambulance duties if at all. Ms Chenaye Bentley has had to move to rural Victoria to work because she thinks it will be safer as a paramedic.

The legislation need to be improved that the special circumstances that was taken into account by Judge Cotterell are narrowed down that improves the chances of incarceration.

Finally there is one thing that has been lost in this matter and that there were three offenders, the two women and a 15 year old boy. He was incarcerated into juvenile justice but the two adults were not incarcerated.

It does not seem to make sense.

We will not accept this outcome and we will pursue on behalf of Victorian paramedics and all emergency service workers.