Autistic Teen Lured to Snapchat Meetup, Beaten Near Station

Three teenage boys have been charged after a 15-year-old boy with autism was allegedly lured to a fake Snapchat meetup and violently beaten and robbed near a train station in Stawell, Victoria. The attack, which was captured on video as other teenagers watched, has drawn sharp concern in the regional Australian town.

According to news.com.au, the assault happened on Oct. 5 after the boy was reportedly enticed to the area through a Snapchat meeting arranged with two girls. Video of the incident shows several teenagers punching and kicking him, knocking him to the ground and repeatedly striking him while he tries to escape. At one point, one of the attackers is heard demanding the boy hand over his shoes before the group lets him leave.

Victoria Police said Tuesday that detectives had charged one 14-year-old boy and two 15-year-old boys following an investigation. Detectives from the Northern Grampians Crime Investigation Unit carried out four search warrants in the region before arresting the teens. All three have been charged with affray, robbery, recklessly causing injury and theft. They are expected to appear in a children’s court at a later date.

Police also said a fourth boy, who was not present when the search warrants were executed, will be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation. Authorities have not announced any additional charges related to that individual.

Victim suffered injuries and ongoing trauma

The victim, who also has epilepsy, suffered soft tissue injuries and possible head injuries, news.com.au reported. His mother told the outlet that doctors were conducting further scans to determine whether he had bleeding on the brain.

“I’m just lucky to have him alive. … He’s having nightmares,” she said. Although the boy has since returned home, his mother said he is now afraid to go outside.

The case has intensified concern about youth violence and the use of social media platforms to set up vulnerable victims. While police have not indicated a broader public threat tied to this case, the circumstances of the alleged luring and the recorded nature of the assault have made the incident especially disturbing for many residents.

Police response in Stawell

Superintendent Dan Davison said the attack had caused understandable alarm in the Stawell community and emphasized that officers had been working continuously to identify those responsible.

“Since last Monday, local uniform police and detectives have been working tirelessly to identify those involved and hold them to account, and this important work will continue,” Davison said in a news release.

He added that police would not tolerate violence in the community. “There is never any excuse for violence in our community, and we will not accept it in any form,” he said.

Davison said detectives were continuing to investigate the matter and that, while police were treating it as an isolated incident, additional patrols would take place across Stawell. Police said the increased presence is intended both to support public safety and to reassure residents unsettled by the assault.

The investigation remains active as detectives continue reviewing the circumstances of the attack and any other people who may have been involved. For now, the charges against the three boys mark the first major step in a case that has shocked the local community and raised fresh questions about the role of social media in arranging dangerous in-person encounters.