Teens face stabbing charges as youth-crime fears surge
Two boys have been charged in separate stabbings, one of which was an alleged random attack on a woman at the mall.
This follows the latest crime statistics showing a new surge in criminal activity across Victoria in 2025, with young offenders appearing to fuel the rise.
A 16-year-old boy who allegedly stabbed a woman on his way to work has been released on bail and has since been charged with robbery, willfully and recklessly causing injury, possession of a weapon and assault.
The woman was stabbed in a random attack, allegedly by a child, while she was at the M-City Shopping Center in Melbourne’s south-east about 7.50am on Thursday.
The 25-year-old woman from Mount Waverley was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.
The boy, from the Stonnington area in Melbourne’s inner south-east, fled the area but was arrested a short time later at a nearby medical centre.
The person taken into custody will later be taken to the juvenile court.
Separately, police on Friday charged a 15-year-old teenager from the Hume district in Melbourne’s north over a stabbing incident in February.
It is alleged that on February 27, two teenagers approached a 17-year-old boy in Mickleham, north of Melbourne, cut him with a machete and then fled.
The teenage victim was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was later released.
A 15-year-old boy surrendered on Wednesday after police executed a search warrant in the Hume area on Tuesday.
He has since been charged with causing serious injury with intent in cases of grievous violence, conduct endangering life, common law assault and possession, use and assault of a weapon.
It was decided that the child would appear in juvenile court at a later date.
Police believe the incident was targeted and are still searching for the second suspect.
The charges come as youth crime in Victoria is expected to increase by 2.3 per cent by 2025, according to crime statistics.
Children committed 57.6 percent of car thefts, 52.6 percent of home invasions, 47.8 percent of qualified thefts and 62.4 percent of robberies.
Police arrested 1223 children a total of 6997 times; An average of four youth gang members will be arrested every day in 2025.
A record number of machetes and knives were also seized during the same period.
Despite the rise in overall youth crime, Police Minister Anthony Carbines said there were signs the targeted reforms were working.
The increase in bail refusals and cancellations in the Magistrates’ Court and Children’s Court in 2025 is evidence that the laws are effective, he said.
While overall crime is still on an upward trend, police say growth is starting to stabilize after years of sharp increases.
But Bob Hill, deputy commissioner of regional operations, said Thursday that a major reduction is unlikely in the near future.
