A 15-year-old boy accused of stabbing a teenager to death near a Sydney high school will spend Christmas in custody. The victim, aged 17, died from stab wounds to his thigh after a confrontation at a park in Rouse Hill, in Sydney’s north-west, at about 4.20pm on Monday.
About three hours later, the younger boy arrived at a police station with a parent and was subsequently charged with murder. He cannot be identified for legal reasons. The teenager faced a children’s court on Tuesday morning, sitting quietly in a black hoodie with a mullet haircut.
Police requested a court order to take forensic evidence, including a DNA swab, from the accused juvenile, as he is not considered capable of giving informed consent. The accused did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody for eight weeks, with the case due to return to court on 23 January.
The stabbing occurred in broad daylight, close to several schools and within sight of numerous people. Police believe it was not a random attack. Several female witnesses rushed to help the victim, and paramedics were called, but the teenager died soon afterwards. Detective Superintendent Naomi Moore praised the witnesses, saying: “It would have been a horrifically confronting situation for those people and I can only praise them for their efforts.”
The New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns, expressed his condolences, calling the loss “unimaginable”. The local MP, Michelle Rowland, said she was deeply saddened and stated: “There is no place in our community for these [alleged] acts of senseless violence.”
