Georgia Wilson and her husband, Lachlan, bought their first home on a tight budget after a long search, and it was supposed to be an exciting and happy time.
Finding an affordable, accessible home for Mrs. Wilson, who has multiple sclerosis, has been a tricky task.
So, during a routine pre-settling-in check, they found out that their townhouse had been broken into, which left them "heartbroken."
Georgia Wilson was scared to imagine working in his new house because it was broken into before they could move in. (ABC：Lottie Twyford）
Ms. Wilson described the destruction as "senseless destruction".
"It's basically senseless vandalism, like ripping off lamps and walls, drug tools everywhere, and they're trying to take the dishwasher...... Rip off the shower head...... There are holes in the walls, dirt everywhere, and so on. ”
Although there was no furniture in the house that could have been stolen, the incident had a profound impact on the couple.
Their plans were immediately impacted, including the postponement of settlement and move-in dates, as well as ongoing interactions with real estate agencies, sellers, insurers, and artisans.
Mrs. Wilson was also anxious about the future.
"It's also kind of scary, because I'm working from home, and I'm like, 'Oh my God, am I going to go somewhere, and then I'm scared all the time, and that's not going to work.'"
Stress also exacerbated Mrs. Wilson's condition, causing her to develop a pseudofever and immobility on the left side of her body.
She is also struggling with fatigue.
Mrs. Wilson and her husband have been waiting for the damaged home to be repaired so they can move into their new home. (Photo courtesy of Georgia Wilson)
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson had already considered installing Crimsafe windows and doors and installing surveillance, but Mrs. Wilson didn't want her new home to start to feel "on high alert."
They have also reached out to neighbours and corporate bodies to promote neighbourhood relations in the hope that this will reduce the chances of similar incidents occurring in their neighbourhoods.
Nor was this the first time Mrs. Wilson had had a negative experience with opportunists breaking into an apartment building.
She said she had called police before, but police told her there was nothing they could do if the intruder was just in a public area.
"I think it would be nice if they could meet our requirements."
Mrs. Wilson explained: "We can't always take responsibility for keeping the house safe, you have to have money. ”
A car theft means constant inconvenience
Gungahlin resident Lexi Harding found out that his car had been stolen while trying to do something before his birthday party. (ABC：Lottie Twyford）
Lexi Harding also knows what it feels like to be insecure.
Earlier this year, her car was stolen from Gungahlin's apartment building.
She doesn't exactly know what happened, but she thinks it's likely that the offender followed her into the basement parking lot and then used the locksmith's device to pry her car open.
Ms. Harding did get her car back, but she now has to pay higher insurance premiums, and she feels she can barely prevent such incidents from happening again.
"I bought a steering wheel lock, which is probably the best thing I can do."
"But we've already talked to the body company about installing cameras underneath."
02
Canberra man basking in the sun at home, the police suddenly broke down the door, and the pot fell from the sky? It all stems from racism!
A man in Canberra who was described by police as "belligerent" was handcuffed, arrested and his home searched in a "traumatic incident" suspected of being racially motivated filed a formal complaint.
While Tuck was recuperating by the pool, police arrived and handcuffed him. Photo: Keegan Carroll
The 38-year-old man, who wishes to be known only as Tuck, had just returned from the hospital and was "basking in the sun and recuperating physically and mentally" by the pool in the Narrabundah residential area at around 12.15pm that day when police arrived and arrested him.
A few minutes ago, he had an argument with a neighbor in the neighborhood, who told him that "he shouldn't be here" and told him to leave or call the police.
"I've never met this guy before, and he was so angry at me that I said 'please, I'm living here,'" Tuck said. ”
Originally from Zimbabwe, Tuck has Australian citizenship and had been living in the community for three months prior to the June 27 incident. He has lived in Canberra for many years, holds multiple science degrees and works in health promotion.
When the police arrived, he was not carrying any identification by the pool, but he gave his unit number, pointed out where he lived, and had the pool gate and the keys to the nearby townhouse.
Tuck has filed a formal complaint with the police about the matter. Photo: Keegan Carroll
Despite this, he was detained by the police, handcuffed and put into a police car, and the police searched his residence with the keys provided to confirm his identity.
Police confirmed that the incident occurred, saying the man "became aggressive in response to police instructions."
"Because of the man's actions, the police had reason to suspect that he had trespassed, so he was arrested, and when the police tried to handcuff the man, he resisted, resulting in a minor injury to the hand of one of the officers."
"After confirming that the man was a resident of the apartment building, he was 'not arrested' and the ACT police department believes the matter has been closed and no criminal acts have been found."
Police have not apologized for the arrest or the false charges.
Tuck said he had previously encountered isolated racist situations in Canberra, but this was the first time he had been physically assaulted "without justification" and "with a clear racist component".
"This is a very disturbing and painful incident for me, completely depriving me of my rights in the form of personal attacks, without provocation."
"I don't pose any physical threat to them. I was already weak, and to this day I still feel pain in the upper part of my forearm, my back is sore, and my hands are scratched. ”
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