A 16-year-old child accused of stabbing a fellow student at a Brisbane school was allegedly subjected to months of “racist” abuse and threats, a court has heard. The teenager appeared in the Richlands Children’s Court on Wednesday and was granted bail after his arrest for allegedly stabbing a 17-year-old schoolmate on Tuesday.
Details of the Alleged Attack
The police prosecutor, Sergeant Shane Stephenson, told the court the incident was “extremely serious and concerning” and alleged it was “premeditated.” He described the injuries sustained by the victim, stating: “The complainant suffered wounds to the right side of his lower back, right side of his torso, the wounding resulted in injuries with damage to his liver, causing internal bleeding. It’s deemed to be life-threatening, required urgent medical attention in surgery.”
Stephenson also indicated that the attack may have been motivated by a social media post, adding: “[The alleged attack] is completely disproportionate to any perceived insult that would have been arising out of a social media post.”
Defence Alleges Racial Bullying
However, the defence lawyer, Torik Dib, argued that the child had been bullied for months on social media. “There are a number of children at a particular school of a particular background, and those people have been on social media, online, and in person, harassing and intimidating the applicant,” Dib said. He read out messages in court that had been shown to him by the defendant’s family, which abused the family on ethnic grounds.
Dib further stated: “In the past two months, it’s escalated in violence in terms of specific racial attacks against him at school.” Magistrate Mark Howden described the messages as “threatening and racist” before ordering the child’s release on bail with conditions.
Legal Proceedings and Next Steps
The child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was granted bail under specific conditions. The case has been adjourned until 3 September. The incident has drawn attention to issues of bullying and racial abuse in schools, with the court hearing evidence of a sustained campaign against the accused.
