Distressing footage raises questions about attitudes towards homeless people

An advocate for homeless people says it’s not uncommon for rough sleepers to be urinated on.

It comes after 3AW was sent footage – which the station has chosen not to publish – of a man who appears to be homeless being urinated on.

“I wouldn’t know (if the footage is real), but I know that it supports our experience of talking to people who’ve experienced homelessness,” Jenny Smith, CEO of the council to homeless people, told Neil Mitchell.

“They are very likely to be on the receiving end of a range of abuses.”

Neil Mitchell was stunned by the footage.

“What on earth would motivate somebody to urinate on a person who is just sitting harmlessly in the gutter?” he asked.

Jenny Smith: “It certainly doesn’t bring out the best side in human nature. Some people feel they need to be more “powerful” than others.”

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