A Buddhist monk was attacked by two balaclava-clad youths on an electric bike in a North East park, leaving him with a cut lip and damaged glasses. Karucha Sripramote, known locally as Monk Kom, said he was walking through Hebburn Riverside Park when a boy on an e-bike began harassing him.
Attack details
Karucha, 34, said the boy first sounded a horn and shouted at him. "I was aware of him, but could not hear clearly due to my earphones, so I simply moved aside to avoid his path," he said. The boy then rode in front of him to block his way and continued shouting. Karucha pointed to his earphones and waved his hand to indicate he did not wish to engage.
The boy then spun his rear wheel to throw grass and dirt over Karucha and followed him when he tried to walk away. When Karucha approached him to ask him to stop, the boy began punching him repeatedly in the face. "I held onto his sleeve to keep distance and reason with him safely, at which point he began punching me repeatedly in the face," Karucha said.
Second attacker and injuries
A friend of the boy then appeared from elsewhere in the park and kicked Karucha with "full force", knocking him to the ground. Karucha estimates the boys were between 12 and 15 years old. His glasses were damaged and he sustained a cut to his lip.
Karucha suspects he may have been targeted because he was wearing his orange monastic robes. He said groups of youths wearing balaclavas frequently ride e-bikes dangerously close to pedestrians in the area to intimidate them. "It has happened to me before, but this was the first time it escalated to physical violence," he said.
Community response
Since speaking out about the incident, which happened at around 3.30pm on Tuesday, Karucha has received an "overwhelmingly kind and supportive" response from the community. He shared an update on the Dhammakaya Meditation Centre of Newcastle Facebook page, thanking residents for their warm messages and a delivery of flowers.
Karucha said he holds no anger towards the youths, adding: "As a Buddhist monk, I contemplate life through understanding, patience, and the principle of cause and effect (Kamma)." He said he has "no lasting injuries" and has "almost completely healed". Northumbria Police is investigating the report.
