Yahoo Lifestyle Elderly grandmother 'traumatised' after brutal bashing by men disguised as Aussie cops
The brutal attack has sent shockwaves across the Perth community, with police vowing to apprehend the offenders at all costs.
WARNING – DISTRESSING CONTENT: Police say they "will not stop" until the culprits responsible for an "utterly reprehensible" assault on an elderly grandmother are held accountable, with an image of the battered 73-year-old taken in the wake of the attack so distressing it made a police commissioner "sick to my stomach".
At 7pm on Monday, three assailants who claimed to be members of the WA Police Force arrived at the grandmother's house in Perth, flashing a fake badge to allow themselves into the home which the woman shares with her 76-year-old husband.
The trio then bound the woman's husband before brutally and mercilessly beating her for a sickening 30 minutes, leaving her with injuries so shocking that WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said it made him feel physically ill. The group then made off with pieces of jewellery of an "extremely large value" before fleeing on foot.
'Utterly reprehensible' attack slammed by WA's top cop
The men are understood to have been wearing plain clothes at the time and carried a fake police badge. Detectives have since reminded the public officers are required to show photo ID before gaining entry to a property.
"The violent assault that occurred in Girrawheen is utterly reprehensible," WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch told media. "I saw the photo of the victim this morning, and it made me sick to my stomach. To have people at home suffer that type of attack is a disgrace," he said, adding that the image was released to the public with the woman's permission.
Detective Inspector Gary Butler said "violence of this nature" will not be tolerated in the community.
"[It's] unacceptable, and it will not be tolerated," Butler said. "The community deserves the right to feel safe and secure in their homes, the public should feel outrage."
Some stolen items have since been recovered, Butler added, urging anyone with CCTV or information about the attack to contact police without delay.
He described the offenders as having olive complexions and wearing dark-coloured long pants, shirts and long-sleeve jackets. Two of the men are roughly 165 centimetres tall and the third has been described as being between 185 and 190 centimetres tall.
Officers 'won't stop' until offenders before courts
"We will not stop until these offenders are apprehended and placed before the courts," he said, adding that plain-clothed police officers would never attend a home without proper identification.
In a cruel development, the victim's daughter said her mother had only recently recovered from cancer.
"She’s 73 years old, she’s just fought cancer for two years, and she was just coming good," the daughter told 9 News. "They tied my dad up, in their own home, so it’s not safe to come back."
"Traumatised and very sore", she will need to undergo medical treatment for her injuries. Her husband is understood to be in a stable condition.
"We will not stop until these offenders are apprehended and placed before the courts," Butler said.
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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