Counter-terror police takes charge of investigation over Sydney University stabbing

Sydney, July 2 (IANS) A counter-terrorism police force has engaged in the investigation after a teenager stabbed a 22-year-old student at the University of Sydney on Tuesday morning.

At around 8.35 a.m. local time, emergency services were called to the educational facility along Parramatta Road in Camperdown, where a man was stabbed in the neck by a teenager armed with a kitchen knife, Xinhua news agency reported.

The wounded student, identified as an Australian national, was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Speaking at a media conference held on Tuesday afternoon, New South Wales (NSW) Police Force Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton provided more details about the stabbing, noting that the young offender camouflaged by a “Defense Force uniform” ran away from the campus with his knife recovered by police at the scene.

“The suspect caught a bus and shortly after presented to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where he has been treated for cuts to the hand and is currently undergoing a mental health assessment,” said Walton.

Police confirmed the identity of the alleged assailant as a 14-year-old local who lives in Sydney’s inner west.

“The NSW Joint Counter-Terrorism Committee is investigating the matter. A motive or ideology importantly has not been determined at this time. As the matter is under investigation and the person of interest is a 14-year-old, I’m not able to provide any comments on the matter at this time,” said Walton.

However, he underlined rising concerns about youth “being radicalised in the online environment” across the state.

“They are embracing violent, extremist ideologies and moving towards violence,” the assistant commissioner warned, calling on parents to stay alert to the risk to their children.

At the current stage, there is no evidence suggesting any links between the pair, but Walton revealed that the 14-year-old was known, both to police and government agencies.

“The ideology that may be related to this young person’s activity is unknown. But I would say that it’s likely to be categorised as mixed and unclear ideology,” he said, stressing that the stabbing is not a religiously motivated attack.

The University of Sydney is located less than 3 km southwest of the city’s central business district. It merely takes a 10-minute drive to reach the facility from the city centre.

Following the incident, tutors at the university have received a lockdown notice, according to local media.

“As a precautionary measure, there may be an increased security and police presence on campus while investigations continue,” a spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Sydney Mark Scott expressed his feeling of being “deeply shocked and saddened” while assuring the community that there is no ongoing threat.

“We were all relieved to hear the student is in a stable condition in hospital, and the university has been in touch with his family and offered support,” Scott said in a statement.

“Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff. Our protective services team is currently operating 24/7, and we have further increased security guards at all major entries to campus,” he added.

–IANS

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