Police are asking parents to watch their children’s online behaviour after a teenage boy in camouflage allegedly attacked a university student with a kitchen knife.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating the stabbing at the University of Sydney but have not linked it to any specific ideology or religion.
The attack happened around 8:30 AM on Tuesday when the boy allegedly stabbed a 22-year-old man in the neck at the Camperdown campus. Paramedics treated the victim at the scene before taking him to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
The campus went into lockdown while police searched for the attacker. The 14-year-old suspect from Sydney’s inner-west was arrested after he took a bus to the hospital.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton said the incident is being treated as a terrorist act. He mentioned that the boy’s beliefs seem to be a mix of various ideas he encountered online.
Walton expressed concerns about youth being radicalised through the internet and urged parents to be aware of this risk. Over the past five years, young people aged 12 to 16 have become more involved in counter-terrorism investigations.
The boy, known to police and government agencies, was treated for cuts and is undergoing a mental health assessment. The victim is in stable but serious condition.
Forensic officers are searching the campus for the weapon and other evidence.
Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott expressed shock and sadness over the attack, calling it an isolated incident. He assured the community that there is no ongoing threat and mentioned that there might be increased security and police presence on campus during the investigation.