‘Radicalised’ teen’s stabbing victim ‘coming to terms with injuries’

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

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

“I am currently coming to terms with my injuries and the circumstances surrounding the events of Saturday night,” the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, 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 I received and the community for their support.”

The man said it was a “very difficult time” and asked for privacy while he recovers from “physical injuries and emotional damage”.

Debate continues days after the incident over how the teenager was treated and monitored before the attack.

It was previously revealed that he had been given access to prayer rooms at his school without direct supervision, despite parents raising concerns about what was going on inside.

Western Australian Department of Education director-general Lisa Rogers today described the prayer room as a corridor overlooking two classrooms and a staff office.

“There was certainly an ongoing kind of passive surveillance of that prayer room,” she told radio 6PR, adding that the teenager “would have had the opportunity to participate in that prayer room without active supervision.”

Rogers denied claims the young extremist used his time in the room to indoctrinate others after another student’s parents raised concerns, but admitted he may have spoken to his peers about religion.

“They may have had conversations regarding religion,” she said.

“But certainly not radicalization, there’s a big line between practicing your faith and being radicalized.”

The 16-year-old’s online movements were closely monitored before the attack.

He was caught watching videos of people being beheaded and was given a school laptop with a locked browser on which his activities were monitored.

“What he was doing outside the school gates in terms of what he was doing with that content, I can’t speak to,” Rogers said.

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

She said Rosmoyne reports the boy to police every month.

The Department for Education said prayer rooms at Rossmoyne and other schools would remain open so students could practice their religion.

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