Six primary school students were assaulted on a train on their way to school at Wentworth Falls late last month.
A group of Year 5 Grammar students was travelling to school on the morning of Friday, February 20 when a middle-aged woman approached them between Bullaburra and Wentworth Falls stations.
She allegedly pushed a 10-year-old girl who fell over, Inspector Peter Scheinflug told the Gazette. When the girl tried to stand up, the woman grabbed her around the wrist, twisting her arm and causing bruises.
She then pushed another child out of the way and went back to her seat in the carriage.
Inspector Scheinflug said the children moved away from the woman but as the train neared Wentworth Falls station, she returned to the vestibule and hit one boy in the mouth - possibly accidentally. As she flayed her arms around two other children were also hit and she also verbally abused the students.
The children ran to another part of the train, near the guard, before alighting at Wentworth Falls.
The father of one of the girls, John McHugh, who has spent time working in psychiatric clinics, said he was shocked by the attack on such young children and he feared the woman may have mental health issues.
"I have personally experienced during psychiatric rotations training at Katoomba that there are a large number of people housed there in assisted accommodation with psychiatric morbidity," he said. "This has been because of the closure of a large number of psychiatric hospitals in NSW in a transition to care in the community model.
"This incident could have been potentially far more serious than it already has been if the assailant is found to have a mental illness.This is not to target people suffering from such diseases, which are debilitating for the patient, but to appreciate that these are the realities in this region."
Blue Mountains Grammar School principal, Trevor Barman, said the matter had been reported to the local police, to the police transport command, to NSW TrainLink and to the member for the Blue Mountains, Roza Sage. Mrs Sage had also informed the Minister of Transport's office of the incident.
"They have been very, very supportive," Mr Barman said. "We [the school] are extremely concerned that this has happened but the response from the police and other organisations has been very good. Just as the school does, those organisations regard the safety of passengers as paramount."
The woman was white, aged about 50, with long brown hair. She had a tattoo of a skull on her neck and multiple rings on her fingers. Anyone with information should contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
