A Perth mother has expressed her fear of leaving her home following a violent encounter where a stranger headbutted her in front of her infant daughter. The incident occurred on James Street in Northbridge on Wednesday, just before 1 p.m., as Ling Chang, 35, was securing her three-month-old baby in her vehicle.
Dashcam footage shows Chang had just fastened her baby into the car and was folding a pram when an unknown woman approached. The woman can be heard on the recording demanding that Chang "Open it now. Now. Hurry the f*** up. Open the f***ing door." Chang, attempting to de-escalate, can be seen nodding and speaking calmly to the woman, who then tried to grab the pram.
As Chang continued to plead with the woman, the stranger squared up to her before suddenly headbutting her. Chang cried out for help while clutching her nose. Two bystanders intervened, scaring off the assailant and contacting the police.
Following the assault, Chang stated she felt "really scared" and was reluctant to leave her house, questioning what might have happened if the car doors had not been locked. "What's going to happen to my baby?" she asked. She also expressed gratitude for the bystanders, remarking that she did not know what she would have done if they had not been present.
Western Australia Police have charged a 32-year-old woman in connection with the incident. The woman appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, facing one count of aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm. She has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear in court again on August 10.