 police say it was a possible vigilante attack after Mr Brearley's car was damaged the day before.But there is nothing to suggest Cassius and his friends were involved in the earlier incident, police say, nor any indication they knew their alleged attackers. Image caption, Cassius was "the heart and soul" of his community, his mother saysOfficers are investigating claims the boys were racially abused before the attack, but Commissioner Col Blanch has urged the community not to speculate about a motive or "jump to conclusions"."It may be a case of mistaken identity, it might be a case of the wrong place at the wrong time," he told a Perth radio station last week. But others - including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese - have said the attack was "clearly" racially motivated.){kind=link}
Three weeks ago, Aboriginal teenager Cassius Turvey was walking home from his Perth school with friends when a stranger allegedly pulled up in a utility vehicle and told the group to run.
What happened next has shocked Australia and posed hard questions, many say, about pervasive racism in the country.
Passengers in the car allegedly chased down the Aboriginal boys – who were wearing their school uniforms – before two were violently attacked.
One victim was an already injured 13-year-old whose own crutches were used to beat him, causing bruising to his face, authorities say.
The other was 15-year-old Cassius, who police believe was assaulted with a metal pole.