1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: And we are going to be heading straight across actually 2 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: and catching up with Christine Cleary, who is the mother 3 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: of this young girl, Kira, who was quite badly injured. 4 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: As we've seen now, you may have indeed seen the 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: vision which emerged over the weekend of this shocking situation 6 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: in Palmerston, a party turned violent after a gathering of 7 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: around twenty friends descended into chaos when a large group 8 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: gate crashed with violence breaking out. Now we now know 9 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: that a talented young girl lays injured in hospital after 10 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: this rock was hurled, striking her in the skull, causing 11 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: extensive injuries and in just well. Actually joining me on 12 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: the line right now is Kira's mum, Christine. Good morning 13 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: to you, Christine. 14 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 2: Good morning. 15 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: How are you not too bad? Christine? Can you must, 16 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: I mean, can you tell us how your daughter is going? 17 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 2: At this point, she's just been calling me asking me 18 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 2: to come up to hospital. So say we're up for 19 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 2: another miss durable morning. Um, yeah, so I'm going to 20 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 2: get up there as quickly as I can. She doesn't 21 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 2: like that hospital, let me tell. 22 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: You no, Christine, I mean you you must have been 23 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:13,759 Speaker 1: devastated when you learned what had happened to your daughter 24 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: over the weekend. 25 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 2: Oh, it just kind of unfolded, Katie. You know, I've 26 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 2: got a phone call at twelve thirty. He was at 27 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 2: the hospital at one She had a head lack. They 28 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:29,759 Speaker 2: took her in for a CT scan, came out, they said, 29 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 2: we've called the neurosurgeon. I was like, okay, golly, this 30 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 2: is not very good. Then when he got there, it 31 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 2: was come up and or shady X rays and she 32 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 2: had a depressed gull fracture at the size of about 33 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 2: just bigger than a fifty cent piece. 34 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, Christine, what followed after that point? 35 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 2: We had to wait until surgery at seven point thirty mm. 36 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 2: And yeah, it was a long way, but you know, 37 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 2: being at a party she'd had, they were worried about 38 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 2: her food intake because she was going under a general anesthetic. 39 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 1: Yep. 40 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: But can I say at this point, well, I have 41 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 2: the opportunity. Every member of staff at Wills are in hospital, 42 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 2: regardless the emergency department, I see higher tendency Ward three A. 43 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 2: The staff have been absolutely phenomenal. 44 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: That is really good to hear. And you know, Christine, 45 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now 46 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: how you would have been feeling on Saturday night with 47 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: your your She's alive. 48 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 2: It's always a good point. It wasn't her frontal lobe, 49 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 2: it wasn't her rear lobe. So from the outset we 50 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 2: knew that if it was going to hit her brain, 51 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:57,399 Speaker 2: that that was probably the best place. And then when 52 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 2: they did the surgery, it was about working out whether 53 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 2: the membrane around the brain had been compromised, and thankfully 54 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 2: it hadn't. However, it wasn't just one piece that was fractured, like, 55 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 2: there are lots of pieces in there that that've had 56 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 2: to put together. As I said before, so she's got 57 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 2: a few wires in her head now. 58 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: Oh, Christine, Honestly, it's every parent's worst nightmare. You know, 59 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: we tried to cotton rule our children throughout their lives, 60 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: but they get to a point where we can't. You know, 61 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 1: you're happy for them to go to a party. She's 62 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: gone to a party where you're expecting around twenty people. 63 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: It then gets gate crashed and what unfolds is unbelievable. 64 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, any parents worst nightmare. 65 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: Can you tell me from your perspective what actually happened? 66 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: You know, at that party on the weekend. 67 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 2: So the party was, you know, between twenty and thirty people. 68 00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 2: It was quiet, they were all well behaved. Father then 69 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 2: said to his ex wife it's shutting down now, it's 70 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 2: you know, they're all going home. And it was at 71 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 2: that point that a gang of twenty or more people 72 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 2: turned up and tried to get in the gate, and 73 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 2: then there were people that tried to stop them getting 74 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 2: in the gate, and then it went from zero to 75 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 2: one hundred in a matter of minutes. 76 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 1: I've seen the vision, and you know, I've seen the 77 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: moment where that rock gets hurled. I'm sure you have 78 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: as well, Christine. 79 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 2: I have, I have. It's terribly confronting. But every bit 80 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 2: of vision that comes out of that incident is terribly confronting. 81 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 2: You know, bj being dragged along the grounds. Just the violence. 82 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 2: I don't understand. I don't know what is wrong with 83 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,479 Speaker 2: these kids. Why are they angry? Why are they looking 84 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 2: to fight? I don't I don't get it. 85 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't get it either. And you know, then 86 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 1: when you see the the injury sustained, particularly for your 87 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,920 Speaker 1: little girl, it's you know, it is it's just absolutely senseless. 88 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 2: Yes, I agree, Yeah, so you know, why are they out, 89 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 2: Why are they roaming the street? Why are they angry? 90 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 2: You know, what are they looking for? They're they're they're 91 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 2: lashing out. You know, I've said this before, and I 92 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 2: know it's maybe going to sound stupid, but I actually 93 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 2: feel for that young man as well. It's it's just outrageous. 94 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 2: He everybody in town knows my daughter, you know, they 95 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 2: all know everyone. It's going to be really difficult for 96 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 2: him to come back to town, and we've tried to 97 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 2: we've tried to smother the rhetoric of retribution, but there's 98 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 2: got to be an intervention somehow with these kids. 99 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,359 Speaker 1: So by the sounds of it, you're worried now for 100 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: the safety of this young bloke that's thrown the rock. 101 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 2: I'm jeff Well, you know, he by all accounts with 102 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:11,040 Speaker 2: the boarding school in Victoria, he was going into draft year, 103 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 2: was going into year twelve next year, and then into draft. 104 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,480 Speaker 2: So now I understand, and this is all he say 105 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 2: that he's been asked to leave the school and his 106 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 2: future has been destroyed by this incident. 107 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,119 Speaker 1: It just goes to show like it just shows you how, 108 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: you know, how everybody's lives then are so negatively impacted 109 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:35,720 Speaker 1: by this one not. 110 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, Kira's friends, her first class, her closest nick group, 111 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 2: they were all there. Yeah, they were all on the 112 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 2: ground with her unconscious. You know, they're blaming themselves for 113 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 2: being the you know it's yes, Kira and I are 114 00:06:54,520 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 2: going through a terrible, terrible time. But the repercussion and 115 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 2: the length you know that it stretches to that people 116 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 2: are affected is pretty phenomenal. 117 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: Christine, what is your message, you know, for if I, like, 118 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: I don't know that they will be listening, but for 119 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: any of those young kids that were there, Kira's friends, 120 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: but you know, any of them that were there, Like, 121 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: what would you say to them if you haven't already 122 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: spoken to them? 123 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 2: Make love not war? 124 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: Oh, you're so right, Hey, can you tell me? You 125 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: know what is what's the prognosis now for Kira? I 126 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 1: know that she's a really talented young sportswoman. I know 127 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: that she's a real firecracker by the sounds of it, 128 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: she's a lovely kid. She's got the world at her feet. 129 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: What's her prognosis? 130 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 2: Well, at the moment, there's still a lot of confusion, 131 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 2: and she's pretty funny when she's confused. She's really still 132 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 2: maintains her sense of humor, which is amazing. I don't know, 133 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 2: slow and steady. She just has to heal, you know 134 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 2: that long, long term she'll be fine, but it's a 135 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 2: it's a major head injury. And you know they're talking 136 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 2: about staggered return to school and staggered work and you 137 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 2: know she can't drive and she can't play footy for 138 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 2: twelve months and so it's just we just have to 139 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 2: make adjustments. 140 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: Now, Christine, what grade is she in at school? Is 141 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: she in year twelve? 142 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 2: Year eleven? 143 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, so it's gonna it'll be tough. I mean, she's 144 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: she loves her footy as well, does she? 145 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, she loves the sisters. 146 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, the brothers of what a legend. Well, can you 147 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: pass on our love to Kira please and please let 148 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: us know how she progresses, just very quickly. Have you 149 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: had any sort of update from the police or you know, 150 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,079 Speaker 1: in terms of where to next with with what's going 151 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 1: on on the weekend? 152 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 2: No, No, they're still investigating. Just yeah, any questions, Well. 153 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: There's so many questions. Yeah, and there's so much that 154 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: needs to be worked on here. I mean, honestly, if 155 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: like you spot on, we've got a like. I don't 156 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: know how we sought this out, but what's unfolded over 157 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 1: the weekend shocking. 158 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:17,439 Speaker 2: We live in the best city in Australia, we live 159 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:21,559 Speaker 2: in the best country in the world. We're so privileged. 160 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 1: Oh Christine, I really appreciate you talking to me this morning. 161 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: You are an incredible woman and you know the strength 162 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: but also the love that you are demonstrating makes me 163 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: feel quite emotional actually, so I really appreciate you having me. Yeah, 164 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: I really appreciate you having a chat with me. You're 165 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: a good woman and so much love to your beautiful daughter. 166 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 2: Thank you.