Inner Melbourne Diversity

High-rise towers of terror
Article from: Sunday Herald Sun
Kelvin Healey and Eleni Hale
August 12, 2007 12:00am

GANGS of up to 30 African migrants some former child soldiers are terrorising Melbourne public housing residents.

The mobs, with members aged from 16 to 24, are living together in single units, drink heavily, fight and threaten neighbours with violence.

The problem is worst in inner city high-rise flats, which have been turned into towers of terror.

Victoria Police has launched programs to help migrants from Horn of Africa countries – many who have grown up with extreme violence – to adapt to living in Australia.

The Office of Housing acted last week to evict two tenants of a high-rise flat in Highett St, Richmond, that was the scene of constant trouble.

The flat was used by a gang who left their neighbours fearing for their lives and abused police who intervened.

The tenants were in the flats for a month, and were finally evicted after using a handgun to break a window, documents submitted to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal reveal.

Inspector Dean McWhirter said Richmond Police had escalating complaints about the anti-social behaviour by the Sudanese gang.

"There's a concern in the community with that behaviour. (This is) a safety issue, the safety of that community."

Shop owner Hannah Chen, who runs a milk bar near the Richmond high rise flats, said constant violence forced her to install a video monitoring system.

More than 13,000 people born in horn of Africa countries live in Victoria, including 6,211 Sudanese, the 2006 census reveals.

Yarra youth liaison officer, Sen-Const Chris McGeachan, said Africans were generally good, but there was an element causing trouble.

"They get together, they can be quite loud, there can be alcohol involved," he said.