Man fatally stabbed in Victorian car park



A GROUP of youths was seen brawling near a Melbourne shopping centre hours before a teenager was stabbed to death in the area.


The teenager was found in a carpark stairwell with multiple stab wounds to his upper body and police said he may have also been pushed down the stairs.

He was dead when paramedics arrived at the scene in Dandenong at about 10.45pm yesterday.

Witness Chol Deng said he saw the group fighting but said everyone ‘went their own ways’ after the fight.

He said he believed the violence was alcohol-fuelled.

“Alcohol … it starts stuff like fights. Then later people start doing stupid stuff,” he told Network Ten.

Police are investigating whether the brawl is linked to the death.

Homicide squad detective inspector John Potter said no weapon was found and the Sudanese teen had not been formally identified.

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“He had been stabbed, we’re unsure what with at this stage,” he told ABC radio today.

“He’s either fallen or been pushed down the stairwell area of the car park from level two down to the ground floor.”

Investigators have spoken to witnesses including a youth, 17, who was released without charge.

Police earlier received reports of a brawl involving up to 15 youths at the nearby library around 8.30pm.

“We know they were dispersed but we’re actually appealing for anyone involved in that melee … to please contact police,” Det-Insp Potter said.

Superintendent Derek Lamb said police met with 30 Sudanese elders on Wednesday to discuss the violence.

Supt Lamb said there was an issue with young people, alcohol and violence, but it was no different to any other cultural group.

He said there was no issue with gangs and no group was disproportionately represented in crime.

“In Greater Dandenong, for example, in the majority of crimes, the offenders are Caucasian people,” he said.

When asked whether Sudanese gangs were a problem in the area, Victoria Police Acting Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said: “There is no doubt that there are groups of people that do cause (the) community some concern.

“We work hard to understand those people, the people involved, what their motivations are and the like.”

Mr Lay said gangs operated across metropolitan Melbourne, but he was unaware of any gang involvement in Wednesday’s incident.

Sudanese Community of Australia acting chairman Lual Deng said he was unaware of trouble involving young Sudanese.

Dandenong Retail Traders Association chairman Roy Aspinall said police were vigilant and no traders had expressed concerns about safety following the death.

“Dandenong is a major centre, but it’s no worse than anywhere else,” Mr Aspinall said.

Best and Less shop attendant Bec Ward, 18, said she had noticed groups of teenagers hanging around the shopping centre, and sometimes fighting, or verbally abusing shoppers or each other.

“Once I go out after work sometimes I feel unsafe. It usually happens on a Thursday or Friday night,” she said.

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