Woman charged with assault of Muslim pair previously attacked woman in hijab, court hears

A woman who allegedly attacked two Muslim women at a Melbourne shopping centre has been granted bail, despite police telling the court her criminal history constituted 130 charges including an attack on a woman wearing a hijab.

Suzan Gonulalan, 31, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday evening charged with intentionally and recklessly causing injury, unlawful assault and aggravated assault of two women at the Pacific Epping shopping centre last week.

Police allege Gonulalan attacked two women wearing hijabs at the shopping centre in Melbourne’s northern suburbs in separate incidents on February 13, leaving both traumatised and fearful of being in public.

The court heard the accused woman, from Pascoe Vale, was on bail at the time. Police told the magistrate Gonulalan had a history of offences including threats to kill and contravention of a family violence order that made her an unacceptable risk to the community.

“[Gonulalan] was walking past when she … approached the [first] victim from behind and pulled at her hijab,” police sergeant Leanne Parfett told the court. “The victim was extremely fearful due to being heavily pregnant.

“As the accused is walking away, she continued shouting abuse while saying, ‘Shut up, shut up bitch.’”

The victim’s two young daughters, who were with her at the time, were upset by the incident, police said.

They said Gonulalan then walked around the shopping centre before approaching another woman – Ealaf Al-Esawie – and allegedly “slapped her” and pushed her, “causing the victim to fall on her back”.

Both incidents lasted no longer than five seconds and were captured on CCTV.