Victoria

Police release photos of alleged Highpoint attack suspects

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Police have released photos of seven young men they want to speak to following a violent group attack in a toilet at Highpoint Shopping Centre.

It's at least the second time teenagers at Highpoint have been the target of violent robberies this month. 

Two 14-year-old boys, who had been to see a movie, were using the centre's toilets at 7.15pm on January 20 when a large group of teens attacked them.

Jasmine Moey told 3AW her son was bashed and robbed. Two other adults in the toilet at the time did not intervene, she said.

"He was punched in the left eye," she told 3AW. "There was eight of them in the cubicle and they were attacking his friend as well in the other corner."

Ms Moey said her son was forced to unlock his phone and turn off location tracking before the teens stole it.

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Police released the images in the hope someone would recognise the young men, who appear to be of African appearance.

Seven days earlier, on January 13, two teenagers were attacked while sitting outside a burger shop at the centre. One of the victims was punched after refusing to hand over his mobile phone, while the other had his hat stolen.

In that case police released photos of two young Caucasian men they wanted to speak to in relation to the incident.

Meanwhile, a teenager also had his phone and hat stolen at the Fountain Gate Shopping Centre during the Christmas Holidays, 3AW reported on Thursday.

He was ordered outside by a group of youths before being punched.

"My son was walking toward Kmart, then he noticed there was about 10 people behind them," the boy's father Andrew Neville told 3AW.

"As he walked toward the store, they approached him. Basically the conversation went 'let's fight'. They did take his new $50 hat from America – it  was a gift."