Sydney man accused of abusing Muslim schoolgirl clashes with judge after bail denied
A Sydney man charged over an alleged Islamophobic verbal attack on a 13-year-old Muslim schoolgirl on a bus lashed out at a judge after being refused bail.
Omar Yassine, 50, appeared at Bankstown local court on Wednesday after being held overnight by police over an incident on an inner-western Sydney bus the previous day. He was charged with stalking and intimidation with intent to cause fear.
Representing himself, Yassine told the court he had "hurled a few insults" at the girl, her friends and a person he believed was a teacher, but insisted he was not the one who started the confrontation. He denied threatening or intimidating anyone, saying he had merely raised his phone and that four students had abused and threatened him first.
A police prosecutor said the evidence against Yassine was strong, including a video the 13-year-old had recorded herself on the bus, and told the court Yassine had a 46-page criminal record. In the footage, the girl, a year 8 student wearing her school uniform and a hijab, is allegedly called a "terrorist" and an "immigrant dog" among other insults. The clip was later shared online.
The girl and other passengers reported the incident to police after getting off the bus at Strathfield station. Police arrested Yassine at a home in nearby Greenacre after the girl and her mother spoke publicly about what happened on Tuesday.
In the video, the teenager told the man she was born in Australia and reminded him of her age, but the alleged abuse continued regardless. She and her mother described the incident as "really disgusting."
During the hearing, Yassine repeatedly interrupted both the prosecutor and acting judge Gary Still while arguing he should be granted bail, saying he posed no risk of reoffending. The judge disagreed, citing the vulnerability of a 13-year-old victim on public transport and Yassine's criminal history, including a recently completed community corrections order.
After bail was refused, Yassine directed further remarks at the judge as he was led to the cells.
According to the video, the alleged abuse began after the girl intervened to defend another hijab-wearing girl who believed Yassine was secretly photographing her. Local state MP Jason Yat-sen Li said he was horrified by the alleged incident and praised the teenager for speaking out, stressing that racist or Islamophobic abuse targeting children would not be tolerated in the area. Yassine has not yet entered a plea and will face further court proceedings.
