The mother of a Brookfield teenager fatally struck by a car last year has vowed to have the case re-opened after an unlicensed driver was sentenced to 80 hours of community service.
Supporters of the victim’s family held a vigil outside Sunshine Magistrates Court when driver and mother-of-seven, Ayou Deng, was sentenced last Tuesday.
Members of far-right group the True Blue Crew, who had gathered outside the court, hurled abuse at Deng and labelled the sentence “a joke”.
Deng was behind the wheel when 13-year-old Jalal Yassine-Naja was fatally struck as he crossed the road in Brookfield on his skateboard on March 14 last year – nearly a year to the day of the sentencing.
Deng was not charged after the incident was deemed an accident.
She received 80 hours community work for unlicensed driving, as well as unrelated unlawful assault and criminal damage offences.
Jalal’s mother, Olivia Yassine, vowed to appeal for an inquiry to have the case re-examined in the hope police can pursue more charges.
“I want it to be acknowledged that she killed a person – my son – and she ran over him. And she did wrong. You do the crime, you do the time,” Ms Yassine said.
“That’s not right. I will fight for my son. It doesn’t matter what it takes. I will get answers out of this and I will appeal it.”
A Brookfield resident, who was first on the scene last March, was among those outside court last week. The woman, who asked not to be named, said she had serious concerns about the police investigation.
“She [Deng] did not render any assistance to Jalal while he was lying on the road,” the woman told
Star Weekly. “The police spoke to me that morning very briefly and I fully expected to have to make a statement but they’ve never come and asked me a single question again.
“I think it’s unbelievable that she would be sentenced 80 hours community work after a child was killed because of her actions.”
