An Aboriginal mother has been left reeling after her three-year-old daughter was the victim of a vicious racist attack during a trip to Taylors Lakes.
Ballarat resident Rachel Muir took her daughter, Samara, 3, to a Disney-themed children’s event at Watergardens shopping centre last month.
Dressed as Queen Elsa from the animated film Frozen, Samara waited for two hours in line for a children’s snow pit.
But the day ended in tears when Samara was subjected to a spate of racial slurs from a mother and her two daughters waiting in line.
“The lady in front of us turned around to Samara and said: ‘I don’t know why you’re dressed up … because Queen Elsa isn’t black’,” Ms Muir said.
“Then one of the woman’s young daughters screwed up her face, she pointed at Samara and said ‘you’re black and black is ugly’.”
Ms Muir said she was left stunned by the hateful comments. Samara burst into tears and hid her face behind her hands.
“I looked around the line and there were little girls of all different races lining up dressed as their favourite Disney characters,” Ms Muir said.
“We were in Melbourne, one of the most multicultural places in the world.
“Nobody is born into this world a racist. It is learnt behaviour. It can be changed.”
Ms Muir complained to the shopping centre’s management and found the staff to be “extremely apologetic”.
She said the shopping centre’s management told her antisocial behaviour was not tolerated.
Melissa Cunningham, Ballarat Courier
