Australian Teen Faces Charges for Supposedly Placing Googly Eyes on ‘Blue Blob’ Sculpture
A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of property damage.
In a statement at the moment of the recent event, the local council said that CCTV footage showed a individual putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.
The accused did not enter a plea and informed the court she was unwell, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate advising her to find a legal representative before her next court date in December.
The following day the alleged incident, the local mayor stated that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be removed without harming the sculpture.
“This wilful damage to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have welcomed the Blue Blob.”
The mayor added the local government would pursue the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the damage.
When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and design.
Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.
