Busker joins growing calls to legalise pepper spray after attack
A Melbourne law student who was attacked while busking in the street has backed growing calls to legalise pepper spray for self-defence.
Noah, 19, who only wanted his first name used, was beaten by a stranger in a mall in Box Hill on October 21 while playing his violin.
He said his attacker tried to take his earnings before the offender flew into a rage and punched Noah and broke his violin.
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Noah was beaten by a stranger in a mall in Box Hill on October 21 while playing his violin. A Current Affair
CCTV footage of the attack also showed the man appearing to make a gun gesture with his hands.
"He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me in and I could just see that fist coming," Noah told A Current Affair.
"I thought that at any moment he could unzip the bag, reach down and pull out a knife."
In the months before the attack, after being concerned by rising crime in Melbourne, Noah launched a petition with the Victorian Parliament, calling for pepper spray to be legalised for adults with no criminal history.
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Pepper spray is already legal with conditions in Western Australia, while in the Northern Territory a year-long trial has begun. A Current Affair
"People are defenceless and they're left with little option to defend themselves from these violent offenders," he said.
Victoria Libertarian MP David Limbrick has sponsored the petition.
"He (Noah) was already scared about being attacked," Limbrick said.
"That's why he set up the petition in the first place.
"Victorians are sick of being victims of crime."
CCTV footage of the attack also showed the man appearing to make a gun gesture with his hands. A Current Affair
Pepper spray is already legal with conditions in Western Australia, while in the Northern Territory a year-long trial has begun.
It allows adults with no relevant criminal convictions to carry and use the spray for self-defence.
Statement from the Victorian government
Our thoughts are with the victim of this awful attack, everyone deserves to feel safe on our streets.
OC spray is a serious weapon and should only be handled by those who have the appropriate training, such as Victoria Police.
We have no plans to allow people to carry OC spray.
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