Kmart carpark horror as woman allegedly ‘violently assaulted’ by five men in brazen daylight attack in Rockhampton

A woman has been allegedly assaulted and robbed by five men in a daylight attack at a shopping centre carpark in Queensland.

The 68-year-old woman was walking through a Kmart car park at the Stocklands Shopping Centre in Rockhampton when she was approached by five men before being allegedly “violently assaulted” at 9.48am on Monday.

The men allegedly snatched her handbag before driving off in a stolen white BMW, according to police.

Paramedics treated the woman at the scene for injuries to her wrist and forehead.

“It’s a disgusting (alleged) attack,” Detective Acting Inspector Luke Peachey said.

“She’s very shaken up.”

Peachey said three of the five men had been found and taken into custody overnight — all of whom are known to police.

“One was only just released from custody on October 22,” Peachey said.

The woman told police that she thought of youth crime victim Vyleen White, who was fatally stabbed during an alleged attack in a Redbanks car park, while she was allegedly being assaulted.

“She mentioned that all that went through her mind was the poor lady who was fatally stabbed in Ipswich, and that’s all she could think of,” Peachey said.

The three men, two aged 19 and one 18, are currently assisting police with inquiries into a range of property offences that occurred over the last three days.

They are likely to be charged with “numerous offences” which will consist of “unlawful uses of motor vehicles, break and enters, and the robbery and assault that occurred on Monday morning”, police said.

Police are appealing for witnesses, or anyone with dashcam, CCTV or mobile phone footage of the incident to come forward immediately.