The father of a newborn baby, who was rushed to the hospital with a severe head injury following a horrific home invasion in Alice Springs, has spoken out for the first time.
The two-month-old was being held by its mother when two youths allegedly broke into their home on Bokhara Street in Larapinta at 2.30pm on Wednesday.
One of the teenagers allegedly threatened the mother-of-four with a weapon before he struck out at her, injuring both the woman and her baby.
Police allege the other teenager allegedly stole the woman’s keys and wallet while she was being assaulted before both fleeing in a vehicle.
The mother and child were rushed to Alice Springs Hospital before the baby was airlifted to Adelaide to receive treatment for a fractured skull.
Both teens were arrested within two hours after and are expected to face Alice Springs Local Court later today.
The child’s father told NT News that his daughter was ‘stable for the moment’.
He said he was ‘overwhelmed and flabbergasted’ by the support from the local community and thanked police for their speedy response.
Meanwhile, an infuriated local has taken aim Northern Territory’s chief minister Lia Finocchiaro after the alleged home invasion, as she prepared to address the media.
Ms Finocchiaro, was confronted outside the Alice Springs Police Station by anti-crime campaigner Darren Clarke, who demanded her resignation.
‘Lia Finocchiaro has moved her press conference inside because she doesn’t want to face the people of Alice Springs out here waiting for her,’ Mr Clarke shouted.
‘You promised to keep this community safe, it was your first order of business, you’ve done nothing and now you won’t front the people out here.’
Ms Finocchiaro won the NT election in August this year off the back of a campaign promising to be tough on growing youth crime in the Top End.
Detective Superintendent Regional Crime Paul Lawson described the alleged assault as a ‘shocking incident’ in a video posted by NT Police late Wednesday night.
‘I’d like to acknowledge the first responders, mainly Alice Springs police, their attendance to this incident was excellent and they got the offenders very quickly off the streets, keeping the community safe from any further harm from these two,’ he said.
‘Our thoughts go out to the victims of this incident, their families. I cannot even think about what they’re going through.
‘I’m shocked the community is in shock, the first responders are shocked, this has got to stop.’