Brisbane woman says community tensions led to vicious attack while jogging

A Brisbane woman is recovering at home following a vicious attack that left her with a fractured cheekbone over the weekend.

Kimberly Smith told 9NEWS she was running through a park in the suburb of Redbank Plains, in Brisbane’s southwest, when she was attacked by two women she believes to be of African descent. 

“I asked them what their problem was (and) obviously didn’t hear them, having earphones in,” she said.

“They’d been yelling out to me for a while. They just arced up at me, I didn’t have a chance with two of them.”

Ms Smith’s face was left bruised and bloodied following the altercation, when she flagged down a passing car and collapsed on a median strip and was rushed to hospital.

She also said she believes the attack was racially motivated.

“It’s just the odd group of large African, Sudanese children who are causing havoc,” she said.

“I have nothing against African, Sudanese (people), but that’s how I’m going to take it.”

Her family say the attack comes as tensions in the local community have heightened, resulting in some parks becoming “no-go zones”.

Despite that, local councillor Sheila Ireland said there isn’t an African migrant crime problem in Redbank Plains and that no issues have been raised with her or at community meetings.

“To that meeting comes the police and the PLO (Public Liaison Officer) and there’s been nothing raised with me,” she said.

Police are now investigating the incident.