An elderly man is in a serious condition in hospital after allegedly being punched in the head by a teenage boy outside a polling booth in Sydney’s inner west.
The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon at the Ashfield Civic Centre, located in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s electorate of Grayndler. According to police, emergency services were called to the scene around 1pm following reports of an assault.
The 79-year-old man was reportedly wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat and had attempted to deface an Anthony Albanese campaign corflute when he was asked by a volunteer to stop. Witnesses allege the man became aggressive during the exchange.
A 17-year-old boy, who police say was not previously known to the man and had been standing across the street, is alleged to have approached the elderly man and struck him in the head. The blow caused the man to fall to the ground.
Paramedics treated the man at the scene before transporting him to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where he remains in a serious condition.
The teenager was arrested at the scene by officers from Burwood Police Station and has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was refused bail and is expected to appear in a children’s court on Thursday.
Authorities confirmed that the two individuals were not known to each other and the incident is being treated as an isolated altercation. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) said the altercation occurred outside of their polling venue and did not involve any of their staff.
“Voting operations are continuing at the pre-poll voting centre in Ashfield,” an AEC spokesperson said.
NSW Police have appealed to the public for any additional information, and a crime scene was established at the Ashfield Civic Centre. Forensic officers were seen removing several corflutes from the area for examination.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions at polling booths during the early voting period. In a separate incident on Tuesday, a 32-year-old man was charged with intimidation after allegedly acting aggressively towards volunteers and damaging political signs at a booth in Macquarie Park.
While the motives behind Wednesday’s altercation remain unclear, police have confirmed that the teenager involved is not believed to have any formal political affiliations.
Anyone with information regarding the Ashfield incident is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
