[The Epoch Times, April 3, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Shen Shiang compiled and reported in Melbourne, Australia) Recently, there have been several murderous stabbings in Melbourne. Experts worry that the epidemic may have exacerbated the violent tendencies of young people who feel that no one cares about them, and that some vulnerable young people are likely to exhibit some anti-social behavior.
According to the “Sun Herald” report, at about 3.20am on March 13, basketball star Alier Riak (Alier Riak), 23, from Western Australia was stabbed to death in Bourke Street, Docklands, with a knife. The younger brother was seriously injured.
Declan Cutler, 16, of Reservoir, was also fatally attacked on Elizabeth St in the suburb in the early hours of the same day and tragically died.
Friends of Cutler have blamed inter-gang violence for his death, saying Cutler had been hanging out with a rival gang a lot lately.
On March 19, police arrested five young men and said they had a “zero tolerance” attitude towards the knife attackers.
A Victoria Police spokesman said the recent knife attack had not been common in the past. “Police intelligence shows that there has been little change in the number of stabbings by young people aged 10 to 24 over the past three years,” he said.
“However, we’ve recently seen young people committing serious violent crimes more frequently in first-time offenders than they used to be at much lower rates.”
Les Twentyman, a veteran youth worker and founder of the Les Twentyman Foundation, believes that the pandemic has pushed more and more young people out of touch with society.
“The main reason is that young people are vulnerable,” he said. “Antisocial behaviour is most likely to occur when they are in a vulnerable state of disconnection from family and society.”
“Criminal gangs tend to target these vulnerable young people to provide them with a sense of protection and sometimes a sense of home.
“These young people are excluded from society, so they don’t follow social rules.”
Crime Statistics Victoria (CSA) figures show young men aged 15 to 19 will have the highest crime rates in 2021 compared to other age groups. The proportion of crimes against individuals (including battery, robbery, harassment and sexual offences) increased from 23.7% in 2012 to 30.1% in 2021.
But overall, crime rates among 10- to 24-year-olds have fallen by nearly 20 percent over the past decade.
Responsible editor: Li Xinran
