Family Issues Statement After Brutal Kew Driveway Stabbing
The family of an 18-year-old woman, who survived being stabbed eleven times in a vicious attack outside her family's mansion in Kew, has broken their silence for the first time since the traumatic incident. The victim has been identified as Leija Michael, a recent graduate of Melbourne's prestigious Ruyton Girls' School and the daughter of respected ear, nose and throat surgeon Dr Philip Michael.
Details of the Late-Night Ambush
Ms Michael was returning home from a social gathering at a pub with friends when she was ambushed at approximately 1am on Wednesday. The assailant, 18-year-old Lachlan Starick, had been concealing himself in bushes outside her Miller Grove residence, armed with a knife. She sustained multiple stab wounds and was urgently transported to hospital, where her injuries were initially classified as life-threatening. Medical staff have since confirmed she is now in a stable condition.
Family's Grateful Response and Plea for Privacy
In a formal statement released on Friday, her family expressed profound gratitude to the emergency services and hospital teams for their exceptional care. 'As a family, we would like to thank the emergency services and hospital teams for the exceptional care provided,' they stated. 'We are pleased to confirm our daughter is now in a stable condition and ask that the media respect our family's privacy at this time. We will not be commenting further on the incident.'
Attacker's Tragic End and School Connections
Starick, a recent graduate of Trinity Grammar School, subsequently took his own life. His body was discovered more than 350 kilometres away at a relative's property in Antwerp, western Victoria, at around 6.15am. It is understood that Starick and Leija Michael were acquainted through the closely connected Ruyton–Trinity private school network. Both neighbouring Kew institutions charge annual fees ranging from $27,000 to $45,000.
In a separate statement issued on Thursday, Trinity Grammar School conveyed it was 'profoundly saddened by this terrible incident'. The school added, 'Our thoughts are with the young woman as she recovers, and the families involved. Out of respect for the ongoing police investigation and the privacy of those involved, we are unable to comment further at this time.' A security guard was stationed at the main entrance of Ruyton Girls' School on Thursday, where Ms Michael had recently completed Year 12.
Police Investigation and Community Shock
Victoria Police detectives returned to the scene of the crime to canvass the street for clues regarding a potential motive for the merciless attack. According to reports, during the night of the assault, Starick had messaged a friend to confirm whether Ms Michael was at the pub gathering and requested to be notified when she departed. He launched the knife attack moments after she was dropped off outside her home. A 20cm kitchen knife was later found discarded in a garden at the location.
Superintendent Wayne Cheesman described the incident as deeply saddening, noting the victim was 'minding her own business' when attacked. 'She gets dropped off at her residence in Kew and there's a male who is known to her, also of similar age, who approaches her in the driveway and stabs her multiple times,' he explained. 'She was just a young girl walking home in the safety of her own driveway. How an 18-year-old boy can, for whatever reason, think it's acceptable to approach someone he knows and stab her multiple times is really sad.' It is understood Ms Michael received treatment for injuries to her upper and mid-body.
Aftermath in the Close-Knit Neighbourhood
Earlier on Thursday, members of Ms Michael's family, including her older sister Mia, were seen emerging from the mansion for the first time since the violent episode. Friends and neighbours gathered throughout the day in the normally quiet, close-knit street, with some observed carrying food parcels between homes as a gesture of support.
Visible blood spatter on the family's Porsche, driveway, and front gate on Wednesday afternoon had been cleaned away by Thursday morning. One shaken neighbour remarked, 'It's been a very long night. We haven't had any sleep.' Another resident added, 'We're all extremely upset. It's a very tight-knit street.' The community remains in shock as the investigation continues to unfold.
