A routine working day in St Kilda turned violent when a local pharmacist was punched in the face while trying to protect his staff and livelihood. The brutal daylight attack has shaken the community and raised urgent questions about safety for small businesses, frontline workers and older Victorians. Even more disturbing is what happened next: desperate calls for help went unanswered, with police taking 24 hours to attend the scene, despite the chemist being a known target of repeated offending.

This incident is not an isolated moment of violence, but part of a broader pattern that exposes deep cracks in crime prevention, police resourcing and leadership. As the victim counts himself lucky to have survived without fatal injury, the Community Advocacy Alliance is demanding accountability and real change before another worker pays an even higher price. Read the full story on the CAA website to understand what happened, why it matters, and why communities are saying enough is enough.

Read the full story at https://caainc.org.au/