Anger and frustration in Victoria have intensified over a recently introduced ban on machetes after two boys, aged 15 and 12, were fatally stabbed while walking home from a local basketball stadium in Cobblebank, west of Melbourne.
The pair were set upon by a trio armed with machetes and long-bladed knives on Saturday night and both suffered critical injuries, dying within metres of each other, Victoria Police said. The force said the attack was likely a case of mistaken identity and investigators continue to appeal for witnesses and information.
The father of 15-year-old Dau Akueng told media his son was a basketball player and not involved in criminal activity, rejecting early speculation of gang links. "He is a basketball player, not a criminal," Elbino Akueng said, adding that he had asked police for answers. He said his son "loved basketball" and lamented a spate of similar incidents affecting children in recent weeks.
The fatal stabbings occurred about a week after the state fast-tracked an interim ban on machete sales and launched a three-month amnesty in which people can hand in blades without penalty. Police Minister Anthony Carbines urged Victorians to turn in machetes as part of the effort to "dry up the supply" of weapons in the community.
More than 40 secure disposal bins have been installed outside police stations across Victoria to facilitate the amnesty, which runs until Nov. 30. Under the law, it is illegal to own, use, carry, transport or sell specified knives without an exemption or approval. Convictions can carry penalties of up to two years' imprisonment or fines exceeding A$47,000.
The measures were accelerated after a high-profile fight at Melbourne's Northland Shopping Centre in which rival gangs clashed, prompting stepped-up enforcement and compliance checks. Since May, a specialist task force reported completing 573 in-store and online inspections and about 2,400 market stall inspections; police said those checks found a high level of compliance with the sales ban.
State figures cited by authorities show thousands of edged weapons have been seized in recent months. Victoria recorded 14,805 edged-weapon seizures in 2024, with a further 8,900 confiscated between January and July this year, according to officials.
Premier Jacinta Allan has urged parents to hand in machetes belonging to their children, saying children account for about 25 percent of knife-crime offenders in the state. The laws include exemptions for agricultural workers who use machetes as part of their job and for items of genuine traditional, historical or cultural significance. South Australia implemented a similar ban on machetes and swords in July.
Despite the state actions, the double killing prompted a wave of criticism on social media from residents who described the amnesty boxes as insufficient. Several posts mocked the scheme and its cost, with one commenter referencing funding for disposal bins and another sarcastically urging the victims to have used the bins. Those comments reflect public anger and concern over youth violence amid the heightened media attention.
Victoria Police continues to investigate the Cobblebank killings. Detectives have appealed for anyone with mobile phone footage or who witnessed the incident to come forward. Police and state officials have said the amnesty and enforcement measures are part of a broader strategy to reduce the availability of long-bladed weapons and curb knife-related crime.
Daily Mail has contacted Premier Jacinta Allan for comment.