It may be hard to comprehend that in a suburb in the south of Canberra, some parents live in fear of physical attacks on their young children.
While some mothers avoid local parks and public spaces, others who have witnessed their toddlers being kicked and stomped on remain petrified of a repeat of the horrific experience.
Tammy Elton, a mother of two from Monash, was horrified to read news of two children allegedly attacked by a man inside Westfield Belconnen on Friday afternoon.
It brought back horrific memories of a Saturday afternoon in July 2025, when she was walking with her newborn daughter and three-year-old son to a local park.
"The guy ran past me and ran over the top of my son, knocking him face down. He then started to stomp on him, and I started screaming and he ran away," Mrs Elton recalled to The Canberra Times, her voice trembling and eyes welling with tears.
The boy suffered scratches and bruises that he physically recovered from, but the psychological impact on the toddler has left his parents heartbroken.
"He has nightmares and cries," the distraught mother said.
The family reported the alleged assault to ACT Policing and provided a witness statement in court against the male attacker, who was 17 at the time and also lived in Monash. He was reportedly sent to a care facility in Belconnen due to a mental health condition.
When Mrs Elton spoke out within the Monash community about the assault, she was shocked to discover her toddler was not the first victim, but the third in a matter of weeks.
On May 9, 2025, Gordon residents Ryan and Gabrielle Adams were walking with their children to the Tuggeranong Pool for their four-year-old son's swimming lessons.
"He ran past me and grabbed my son by his Oodie and started running off with him hanging," Mrs Adams said.
Mr Adams ran ahead and rescued his son before pinning the male assailant to the ground.
"My son said he couldn't breathe," Mr Adams recalled.
However, while Mr Adams was furious, Mrs Adams, an early childhood specialist initially stunned by the unprovoked attack, sat down with the young male and spoke calmly to him.
"He was saying, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' It was clear he was unwell and needed mental health help," she said.
Unlike the Eltons, the Adams family said it took weeks to have an official report successfully filed with police.
"Our main aim was to prevent further attacks on children in the community and for him to receive much-needed support," Mrs Adams said.
Parents from south Canberra, including the Adams and Elton families, have rallied in support of others whose children were also allegedly attacked by the same assailant. Affected parents now keep track of the alleged offender's presence in the community and remain constantly vigilant.
"There are a few mums and grandmums in the community, including my neighbour, who are scared of walking the kids to the park, fearing an attack. I don't take the kids to the nearby park anymore. I'm quite fearful and have difficulty sleeping at night. I constantly fear who could be next," Mrs Elton said.
Following the Belconnen incident, the 18-year-old suspect was arrested by police on Sunday evening and was remanded in custody by the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday.
The court heard the man had been accused of attacking three children in 2025. In refusing bail, Chief Magistrate Louise Taylor said this demonstrated a "pattern of conduct".
Mrs Adams said: "I just felt sick hearing about the incidents [involving] children who do not have a voice. It is devastating to see how many assaults on children happened after ours."
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