'Radicalised' teen's stabbing victim 'coming to terms' with injuries

Perth residents, students mourn alleged stabbing attack

The man who was stabbed by a “radicalised” 16-year-old boy later shot dead by police says he is “coming to terms” with his injuries, as he recovers in hospital.

Police fatally shot the teen, who they said was armed with a 30-centimetre kitchen knife, in a standoff on Saturday night in the Bunnings car park in the southern Perth suburb of Willetton.

The victim was found with serious injuries but improved to a stable condition in Royal Perth Hospital, where he remained.

“I am currently coming to terms with my injuries, and the circumstances surrounding the events of Saturday evening,” the man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said in a statement this afternoon.

“I would like to thank the first responders who attended the scene, the staff at Royal Perth Hospital for the treatment that I have received and the community for their support.”

The man said it was a “very difficult time” and asked for privacy while recovering from “physical injuries and the emotional toll”.

Debate has continued for days after the incident about how the teenager was dealt with and monitored before the attack.

It was earlier revealed he had been given access to his school’s prayer rooms without direct supervision, despite parents raising concerns about what was going on inside it has emerged.

The 16-year-old boy’s school, Rossmoyne Senior High, was aware his extreme behaviour had seen him enter a deradicalisation program

The radicalised teenager who was shot dead after stabbing a man in a Perth Bunnings on Saturday had been given access to his school’s prayer rooms without direct supervision.

Western Australian Department of Education director general Lisa Rodgers today described the prayer room as a corridor overlooked by two classrooms and a staff office.

“Certainly there was ongoing kind of passive monitoring of that prayer room,” she told 6PR radio, adding that the teen “would have had the opportunity to participate in that prayer room without active oversight”.

Rodgers denied claims the young extremist was using his time in the room to indoctrinate others after parents of another student raised concerns but admitted he might have been talking to his peers about religion.

“They may have been having conversations in regards to religion,” she said.

“But certainly not radicalisation, there’s a big line between practising your faith and radicalisation.”

The 16-year-old’s extreme behaviour had seen him enter a deradicalisation program.

The 16-year-old’s online movements had been closely watched before the attack.

He had been caught viewing videos of people being beheaded and was provided with a school laptop with a locked browser on which his activity was monitored.

“What he did outside of school gates in regards to what he did with that content, I can’t speak to,” Rodgers said.

“But I can tell you and I can assure parents that while he was at school he was prevailed and monitored.”

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She said Rossmoyne was reporting to police about the boy every month.

The education department said prayer rooms at Rossmoyne and other schools would remain open so students had the opportunity to practise their religion.

“We can’t ask students to park their faith at the door,” Rodgers said.