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The owners of an Adelaide bubble tea store where a brawl erupted after a female worker was slapped across the face and kicked in the stomach have broken their silence to say a man charged over the incident was not an employee.
A note taped to Fun Tea’s window on Wednesday stated a man who has been charged with assaulting the young woman was a customer and not otherwise related to the store.
The note also said the dispute was not about the employee’s rates or pay, but rather arose from a prior argument between the woman and the male customer.
“During the incident, one of our four female employees was allegedly struck by a customer,” the statement read.
“The incident arose following a previous verbal argument which the female employee had had with the customer.
“The management and owners of Fun Tea deplore violence of any sort, and have zero tolerance for assaults or violence.
The shocking footage emerged on Tuesday which showed the female student, aged in her 20s, arguing with a man.
The footage shows a separate man, dressed in a black T-shirt, then walking up to the duo and exchanging a few words before slapping the woman across the face.
This sparked a brawl inside the Gouger Street store in Adelaide’s CBD last Friday night.
The woman is then seen in the vision throwing a black bag at the man after he hit her.
She begins to hit him but is then kicked in the stomach, flying across the floor because of the force.
Other people inside the business are also seen fighting while customers, some with children, watched the incident unfold.
Police were called to the Chinatown shop about 9.25pm but the suspect had already left the scene.
A 39-year-old man alleged to have slapped the woman was arrested later on Thursday night and charged with assault over the incident.
He has been bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court in May.
Following the incident, the victim was treated by paramedics at the scene and was later taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment.
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