Helen Haines, Australian MP victim of assault, lost leg

Deliberately hit by a car in front of her electoral office, Australian MP Helen Haines lost a leg, local media announced on Tuesday, in a country where threats targeting parliamentarians are increasing. The 65-year-old independent elected official, known for her fights against corruption and climate change, was hit by an SUV on Monday afternoon in Wangaratta, just over 200 kilometers from Melbourne (south-east), said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“The MP has undergone surgery but remains in critical condition,” the leader told Australian morning show Sunrise on Tuesday. According to public media ABC and the Sydney Morning Herald, the parliamentarian lost a leg. “It wasn't an accident. This is a deliberate act,” he declared the day before to public media ABC. “She was taking things out of the trunk of her car,” detailed the Prime Minister. The assailant turned around to come back towards her after passing her.

Witnesses told ABC they heard a loud noise and saw a woman trapped between two cars. The driver of the vehicle involved, a 43-year-old man, was overpowered by passers-by before being arrested by police, said Ashley Mason, a Victorian state police officer. A knife was found in his car, police said. According to local media, the suspect was known to the police.

An investigation is underway and the federal police said they are working with local law enforcement to determine possible grounds for indictment, including assault on a public official, punishable by 10 years of imprisonment.

The anti-terrorist unit was contacted but the motive for the attack remains unknown, Anthony Albanese said. It is a “test of our identity”, he said, calling on Australians to treat their differences “respectfully”.