Tara Murray
Crime Stoppers Victoria along with police and medical professionals are calling on young people to think about the consequences of carrying a knife.
A campaign launched last week by Crime Stoppers, ‘Lose the Knife, Not a Life’, is aiming to educate young people about the effects of simply carrying a knife.
The campaign highlights several incidents where a young person has been seriously injured or killed due to knife violence.
A teenager has been charged with murder after the stabbing of 17-year-old Bless Mulukwat Akoch at Eagle Stadium in Werribee in May
Eleven teenagers are facing murder charges following the stabbing of 15-year-old Solomone Taufeulungaki in Deer Park in June last year.
Crime Stoppers Victoria chief executive Stella Smith is asking young people to stop picking up a knife in the first place.
“If you use a knife to hurt someone, that person will either retaliate or suffer a serious injury,” she said.
“Either way, two young lives are at risk. One is at risk of ending up in prison and the other is at risk of being killed.”
As part of the campaign, the Alfred Hospital has released a video to help young people understand the serious health and safety risks involved in carrying a knife.
Alfred Hospital deputy head of trauma Dr Meei Yeung says despite what young people may think, there’s no such thing as a safe stab injury.
“It’s fair to say that no stab injury is safe, and that it can all cause long-term injury and damage,” Dr Yeung said.
“What I describe to people is that it’s a bit like an iceberg, you’re only seeing the tip of it. A very long blade can cause a lot of injury, but you won’t see that because it’s deep. If someone is stabbed, you cannot assume that the injury is not going to eventually kill them.”
Dr Yeung said it was also important that if you have a friend who has been stabbed to call an ambulance as soon as possible.
North West Metro Region Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said one life cut short is one life too many.
He called for parents to sit down with their children and talk to them if they do come across a knife.
“Police will catch them sooner or later and they will be in serious trouble,” he said.
“Worse, if they use it, the consequences are devastating – for the victim, the families and even for the young offender going through the legal system.
“Carrying a knife for self-defence is illegal. Bringing a knife to a fight is illegal. Using a knife to threaten someone is illegal.
“The odds are that if a young person has one on them, sooner or later they will use it. That’s why campaigns like this are important.”
For more on the campaign including online resources, go to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au/lose-the-knife.
