Sydney, Australia – A disturbing incident at Chifley College’s Bidwill campus shocked the community when a student pulled out a large kitchen knife during a brutal assault on a younger boy. The incident, which took place in the boys’ toilets on February 6, was captured on camera and circulated online.
In the video, a 15-year-old student can be seen punching and shoving the 13-year-old boy against a wall before brandishing the knife. Two other students joined in on the attack, kicking and punching the victim. Fortunately, the boy was not stabbed during the vicious assault.
The New South Wales (NSW) Police later confirmed that charges were laid in connection to the incident. A 15-year-old boy was arrested and faced charges including armed with intent to commit indictable offense, stalk/intimidate intend fear physical harm, common assault, and use knife in school-causing person to fear for safety.
Following the incident, the older boy appeared in a children’s court on February 26, and the matter has since been resolved. It was reported that the boy is no longer part of the public education system, according to the Daily Telegraph. Other students involved in the assault were suspended from school, including those who were present but did not participate.
In response to the alarming incident, a bullying seminar was held at the Bidwill campus to address the issue. The victim, who was offered counseling, has since transferred to another Chifley College campus.
Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car described the video as ‘horrifying,’ emphasizing that such violence should not occur in schools where children should feel safe. The NSW Department of Education assured that all incidents are taken seriously and investigated, with support provided to affected students and staff.
Just three months later, another terrifying incident involving a knife occurred at a different Chifley College campus. The Dunheved campus was put on lockdown when a student arrived armed with a knife, resulting in an injury to a teacher who tried to disarm the student.
In response to such incidents, the NSW government introduced legislation allowing police to utilize handheld scanners to detect knives without warrants in designated areas, inspired by Queensland’s Jack’s Law enacted after a fatal stabbing incident.