Ambulance Victoria Urges Public Respect After Surge in Violence Against Paramedics

Ambulance Victoria is urging the public to show greater respect toward paramedics after a spike in violent incidents over the Christmas period.

The organisation says assaults on emergency service workers have been rising for years, but the recent wave of violence has been especially severe and distressing.

“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen in 30 years of emergency work,” Ambulance Victoria’s regional director of operations Vanessa Gorman told media on Tuesday.

“And it’s probably worse in terms of the severity of what’s occurring. I don’t think there’s one of us standing here today who has not been assaulted.”

Gorman said that within just three days over Christmas, there were 10 “very serious offences” committed against paramedics prompting the organisation to speak out.

Incidents included:

A female paramedic being inappropriately touched multiple times

Paramedics being punched in the chest

Paramedics being spat on

A stethoscope used as a weapon

Paramedics forced to abandon an ambulance after a patient damaged the vehicle’s interior

“Enough is enough. This is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it,” Gorman said.

She urged the community to treat paramedics with “respect, kindness and grace not only during this period but through 2026 and beyond.”