A young family is planning to flee their homes and jump ship to the next state over after being repetitively targeted by African crime gangs.
The Beaton family, from Hopper’s Crossing in Melbourne’s west, have been the victims of multiple home invasions, car break-ins and burglaries in the past year alone.
Sick of the violent crime spate in their neighbourhood, parents Danielle and Eric Beaton have decided to abandon their beloved Melbourne and move the kids to Queensland later this month, The Australian reports.
The Beaton family, from Hopper’s Crossing in Melbourne’s west, have been the victims of multiple home invasions, car break-ins and burglaries in the past year alone (Pictured is a teenager arrested in Tarneit, Victoria)
Sick of the violent crime spate in their neighbourhood, parents Danielle and Eric Beaton have decided to abandon their beloved Melbourne and move the kids to Queensland (pictured) later this month
‘We’re just tired. Our car has been burgled three times this year and I can’t even turn my back on my kids while they’re playing on their bikes in the street,’ Mrs Beaton said.
The couple made the difficult decision to leave extended family behind in Melbourne in November and both Danielle, a property manager, and her road-worker husband Eric have new jobs lined up in Queensland.
Gang members of African appearance began terrorising the Beatons in early 2017, loitering in their front garden and attempting to break into their home.
The family-of-five reached breaking point when they returned home one evening to find their property completely ransacked.
The couple made the difficult decision to leave extended family behind in Melbourne in November and both Danielle, a property manager, and her road-worker husband Eric have new jobs lined up in Queensland (Pictured is Tarneit, Victoria)
Gang members of African appearance began terrorising the Beatons in early 2017, loitering in their front garden and attempting to break into their home (Pictured is a Melbourne community centre trashed by African youths)
‘The kids’ rooms had been trashed, drawers taken out of chests and dumped everywhere and stuff smashed for no reason. And just the weirdest stuff was taken,’ Mrs Beaton said.
Bizarrely, the thugs only stole petty items such as cigarettes but left behind an expensive iPad and a Samsung phone.
The family then moved to a neighbouring suburb to escape the relentless crime, but soon after their 2004 Ford Territory was broken into three times.
Mrs Beaten and her children felt increasingly unsafe in their own home and couldn’t even walk alone at night in fear of being targeted.
She even began driving her teenage kids the short walk to-and-from their part time jobs and school.
Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville (R) and acting Chief Commissioner of Police Shane Patton hold a press conference regarding African youth crime in Melbourne
‘We’re just sick of feeling unsafe… It sounds stupid, but when you’ve got a 15-year-old daughter and you know a gang is heckling her from the park and threatening her as she walks home, what are you meant to do?’ she added.
The spate of African crime has divided public opinion on the severity of the issue.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton recently made comments about Melbourne people being too afraid to go out for dinner, a claim which was stubbornly refuted by residents.
Most recently, a Melbourne woman was struck across the face and forced to wait in terror as up to 14 men of African appearance ransacked her house during a vicious home invasion.
Police believe the same group also punched and kicked a 16-year-old boy they approached in a vehicle while he walking in Noblebanks Drive at Cairnlea.