Pensioner unapologetic over attack on pregnant woman
<p>A woman who was attacked by a stranger as she sat in a Sydney restaurant while 38 weeks pregnant has spoken about the incident ten months on.</p>
<p>Mother-of-four Rana Elasmar was dining with a group of friends late last year when she was viciously punched and stomped on by a man.</p>
<p>At the time of the attack, Ms Elasmar was wearing a hijab and the attacker was accused of spewing racist comments before he lost control.</p>
<p>Her unborn son Zayn was fortunately unharmed in the assault and was safely delivered the following month.</p>
<p>"That's the first thing you think of as a mother to protect your baby," she said today.</p>
<p>On Wednesday she faced Stipe Lozina in court for the first time during his sentencing hearing.</p>
<p>Lozina pleaded guilty to assault, saying while he does not “get along” with Muslims, it was not the motive behind the attack.</p>
<p>He claimed she did not give him a dollar which infuriated him.</p>
<p>"I don't hate them, but I don't get along with them. I've got no business with them," Lozina said in court.</p>
<p>The crown prosecutor argued that Lozina’s negative opinion on Muslims was borderline obsessive.</p>
<p>Ms Elasmar issued a strong statement to those who engage in violence against women and are Islamophobic.</p>
<p>"If you feel the right to physically or verbally abuse somebody who looks a bit different than you, then Australia's not the right country for you," she said.</p>
<p>Lozina will be sentenced at a later date.</p>
