A video released by Outlaw Media shows two young men armed with what appear to be machetes being confronted in broad daylight by a group accusing them of stealing a phone in Sunshine, a suburb about 12 kilometres northwest of Melbourne's central business district.
The footage, posted Monday, shows the pair dressed in black with their faces covered, standing in the middle of a residential street while bystanders demand the return of the device. One voice is heard saying, "Give that s*** back," and another telling the men, "Put it back. You don't want trouble." One of the men carrying a knife replies, "Get out of my face. I don't want trouble," while a member of the group retorts, "Do you think I'm scared of a knife?" The person alleged to be the phone's owner points to one of the men and says, "He has my phone. This guy has it. He took my phone."
Victoria Police told media they "could not locate anything with the information provided" when asked about the video. The circumstances shown in the clip, including whether a phone was taken and whether charges will be laid, were not immediately clear.
The footage arrives days after two children were fatally stabbed in Melbourne's northwestern suburbs. Police say 15-year-old Dau Akueng and 12-year-old Chol Achiek were walking home in Cobblebank on Saturday night when they were ambushed by eight masked males and died at the scene less than 200 metres apart. Detective Inspector Graham Banks said the attack had "the hallmarks of a youth gang crime" and investigators were examining whether it was a case of mistaken identity.
Banks, a senior Victoria Police officer, said the suspected gang attack was the latest in a "substantial and growing list" of youth-related violent crimes across the state and said current penalties were not aligned with community expectations. "As I stand here before you, I think the penalties aren't in balance with what community expectations are or mine," he told reporters.
The incidents have coincided with state measures intended to curb knife-related violence. On Sept. 1, the Victorian government introduced a ban on machetes and other long-bladed knives, making it illegal to own, use, carry, transport or sell such blades without an exemption or valid approval. Convictions under the law can carry penalties of up to two years in jail or fines of more than A$47,000.
The state also rolled out machete amnesty boxes at 45 police stations and announced a three-month surrender period running until Nov. 30. Police Minister Anthony Carbines urged the public to hand in any prohibited blades during the amnesty. The government has additionally moved to strengthen bail laws and broaden stop-and-search powers for police.
The opposition backed calls for tougher responses, with Liberal leader Brad Battin saying Victorians "no longer feel safe in their homes" and urging the government to deliver further solutions rather than "media releases." Daily Mail reported it had contacted Premier Jacinta Allan for comment about the footage and recent attacks.
State crime statistics show offences by youths aged 10 to 17 rose 17.9% in the year to March, the highest level since records began in 1993, figures included in government briefings show. Authorities have linked that rise with increased police attention on youth violence, particularly incidents involving knives and other long-bladed weapons.
Investigations into the fatal stabbings in Cobblebank remain ongoing and police said inquiries into both the deaths and other knife-related incidents are continuing. The provenance of the Sunshine video and whether it will lead to charges has not been confirmed by Victoria Police.