Machete thugs run riot at rugby league ‘harmony’ event
Callum Godde |
A suspected machete brawl has erupted outside a community sports event as police slam young thugs and the premier insists the state is safe.
A large group of youths, believed to be armed with machetes, got into a fight after NRL Victoria’s Harmony Cup at Broadmeadows in Melbourne’s outer north on Saturday night.
A 19-year-old man was found near Seabrook Reserve with serious stab wounds to his torso.
Detective Sergeant Matthew Feben said up to 1000 people were dispersing from the community rugby league event when the fight broke out.
“It was quite heavily populated in the area at the time,” he told reporters on Sunday.
“There was a large group leaving the area.
“Police are investigating the possibility they may have been in attendance at that event.”
Offenders were described in an initial triple-zero call as being in their late teens and armed with machetes, Det Sgt Feben said.
The 19-year-old victim from the Hume area is in a stable condition in hospital but is not co-operating with police.
No arrests have been made, with the suspects driving away before police arrived.
Detectives are investigating whether the fight was linked to another incident on Friday night when youths armed with machetes were spotted running through the three-day event.
The Harmony Cup is a nine-a-side competition that gives players and volunteers a chance to represent their country of origin or local community.
Det Sgt Feben was very concerned by the “appalling” behaviour, describing the event as otherwise peaceful.
“It’s completely unacceptable in any location for youths or anyone to be armed with a machete,” he said.
“Police are putting lots of time and energy into getting these weapons off the street.
“Over the past 12 months, 13,000 edged weapons have been seized, which equates to 47 per day.”
Another 5200 machetes have been collected from disposal bins and about 3400 taken off shelves as part of a state ban on their possession and sale, Premier Jacinta Allan said.
“We are getting more of these dangerous weapons off our streets than any other state – all up more than 20,000 of these dangerous weapons,” she said.
Ms Allan acknowledged machetes were causing grief and concern in Victoria but maintained the state was safe despite crime rates hitting a 20-year high.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the group of youths had sent fear through the local community and it was time for the government to act.
“If we can fix crime, we can see more people wanting to return to Melbourne and bring it back to the vibrant city it once was,” he said.
“But the only way that can happen is if Jacinta Allan finally admits that for too often and for too long it’s getting less and less safe.”
With crime on the rise, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has launched a survey to attempt to quantify the cost of criminal activity and anti-social behaviour for businesses.
The survey is the first of its kind by the peak body, responding to anecdotal reports of theft, damage and safety concerns.
It will deliver data on the scale of the issues but also focus on solutions, with chief executive Sally Curtain warning leaders not to ignore it.
“We need to turn this around,” she told 3AW Melbourne.
The survey will remain open to all Victorian businesses until November 11.
AAP
