In Australia, an Indian-origin student currently lies in a medically induced coma after being assaulted, with 25-year-old Benjamin Dodge Collings identified as the suspect, taken into custody, and charged with criminal assault. The incident unfolded on November 5 at a precinct in Tasmania, where the student, in his 20s and pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Tasmania, was attacked around 4:20 am local time.
Following the assault, the victim was expeditiously transported to the Royal Hobart Hospital in Hobart, Tasmania. Reports indicate that he suffered ‘extradural bleeding,’ resulting in a shift in his brain, and his right lung collapsed, necessitating extensive brain surgery.
Collings, a resident of Lenah Valley, was apprehended by the police shortly after the incident. The accused now faces charges, including criminal code assault, with a potential maximum prison sentence of 21 years. Despite being granted magistrate bail, Collings is set to appear in court on December 4, confronting charges encompassing assault, providing false information, resisting a police officer, and unrelated driving offenses.
Acknowledging the incident, Ben Wild, the University of Tasmania’s Media Director, conveyed that the university has maintained regular contact with the student’s family. Various forms of support, including a complex case manager, translators, and liaison officers, as well as accommodation, have been provided by the university.
Responding to inquiries about the university’s actions, Ben Wild noted limitations due to ongoing legal proceedings, stating, “The case has gone through the court system as well, and we are very limited in what we can say.”
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