Young Australian Faces Charges for Allegedly Attaching Googly Eyes on ‘Cast in Blue’ Sculpture

A teenager from Australia has appeared in court after reportedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by affixing plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on that day, facing with a single charge of property damage.

Officials commented at the moment of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage captured a individual placing artificial eyes on the artwork, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused did not enter a plea and informed the court she was ill, according to media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to find a lawyer before her upcoming hearing in December.

The following day the alleged incident, the city leader stated that restoration to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the stickers were impossible to be detached without harming the art piece.

“This intentional vandalism to a valued community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

The mayor added the local government would seek the “substantial” restoration expenses from those accountable for the vandalism.

When the sculpture was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its price tag and appearance.

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater discovered in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.