Key Points
- The Melbourne resident was stabbed a number of times on his 16th birthday.
- Concerns have been raised for the safety of children.
- Community members have filed a petition to the legislative council of the Parliament of Victoria for implementation of tougher laws.
The incident took place at Baden Powell Drive, Tarneit, on the evening of Thursday, 27 July.
The Melbourne resident, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, was spending time with his friends before returning home to celebrate his 16th birthday with his family.
Victoria Police said the teenagers were approached by a group of seven to eight males, and an alleged altercation led to the stabbing.
"I got a phone call from one of the neighbours at around 6pm saying my son had been stabbed," the victim's father told SBS Nepali.
When my wife and I reached the place, which was only a short drive from our home, the scene was very traumatic, and there was blood everywhere.Father of the victim
The group of males allegedly robbed the teenagers and stabbed the 16-year-old and one of his friends multiple times.
The victims were taken to hospital by an ambulance that arrived at the scene.
A representative picture of ambulances. Source: AAP / AAP Image/Joel Carrett
"Just the day before the incident, he had given a trial to join a premier cricket club, which would open doors for him to play at state level someday."
"He had a dream to play for Australia's national team cricket, and now his hands are seriously injured."
The victim's mother said the incident has made parents question the safety of children.
"It was a very inhuman incident, something we have only seen in movies. Our children are not safe in their own backyards," she told SBS Nepali.
The main reason why we left our country [Nepal] is for a good future for our children, but now it has become questionable - was that the right decision?Mother of the victim
Durga Acharya is a Nepali community leader from western Melbourne.
"We held a community consultation a few days after the incident with people from Nepali as well as other migrant backgrounds," he told SBS Nepali.
"We hear of these kinds of incidents time and time again. We need stricter laws, and we have signed a petition which will be presented to the legislative council for that purpose."
Residents living in and around Tarneit say crimes have been increasing in the area. Source: Moment RF / Nigel Killeen/Getty Images
"We need more police patrolling and the community, especially the kids, need to feel safe," he told SBS Nepali.
"We already have around 650 signatures in the petition. We stand as one, as Wyndham community, in support of his [the victim's] family."
Prem Raj Upreti is the President of the Nepalese Association of Victoria (NAV), a Nepali community organisation based in Victoria.
He said the community is organising a rally on 12 August at Baden Powell Drive to advocate for tougher laws.
"I heard that the same group that attacked him had attacked some other people earlier too," he said.
Such incidents are increasing in and around areas in Tarneit, and as a community, we need to raise our voices against it.Prem Raj Upreti, President, Nepalese Association of Victoria
The victim's mother said the community is also rallying from Flinders Street to Parliament on 19 August to make sure their voices reach the government.
The 16-year-old has been discharged from the hospital and is in recovery.
As the investigation continues, Victoria Police has charged three people in relation to the incident.
