The Les Twentyman Foundation has expressed deep concern following the death of a 15-year-old boy in Melbourne’s north in an incident that has shocked the local community and reignited calls for greater investment in early intervention and youth support programs.
Speaking with Waleed Aly on ABC Radio Melbourne, CEO Paul Burke said his immediate reaction to the news was one of frustration and sadness.“Here we go again, unfortunately.”
The teenager, from Mickleham, was found with serious injuries outside Craigieburn Community Hospital and later died at the scene. Two teenagers have reportedly been arrested as investigations continue.
While acknowledging the seriousness of the incident, Burke said the broader picture around youth violence is complex and requires sustained, community-wide responses rather than short-term reactions.
He noted that frontline youth workers are, in some cases, reporting fewer encounters with young people carrying knives, but warned that perceptions and influences remain a major issue.
“The young people that do carry them, they don’t carry it as a sword, they carry it as a shield. Because what they see through their mobile phone and social media convinces them that everybody else is carrying, therefore they need to carry.”
Burke said breaking down these perceptions is critical to reducing violence.
“It’s that thinking that we need to break.”
He also stressed that incidents like this extend far beyond those directly involved, impacting entire communities and shaping how safe people feel in their neighbourhoods.
“The implications of these stabbings is not just the family of the person that is stabbed that is affected. The whole community is affected.”
Burke said this is why the Foundation continues to advocate for a “whole of community approach” with a strong focus on prevention and early intervention.
The Les Twentyman Foundation, founded on the legacy of the late great social justice advocate Les Twentyman OAM, delivers a range of youth outreach and school-based programs aimed at engaging young people before they become involved in the justice system.
Burke highlighted the importance of evidence-based programs that are piloted in the community and then scaled with government support.
“The best way to deal with these things is through early intervention programs, because the evidence shows that they work.”
He also pointed to growing collaboration with Victoria’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), which has supported increased funding for school-based outreach.
“We’re working quite closely with the VRU. They’re showing themselves to be very responsive to organisations like ours that can offer solutions.”
As part of this work, the Foundation has recently been awarded a $1.75 million contract to deliver in-school outreach youth workers across western Melbourne and Geelong.
Burke said the impact of youth violence extends deeply into community wellbeing, affecting not only families but also young people’s sense of safety in everyday environments such as streets, schools, shopping centres and train stations.
He referenced earlier tragedies, including the deaths of two young boys at Cobblebank, and spoke about a community basketball initiative now involving one of the victim’s fathers as a way of engaging young people. “That’s pulling kids in.”
Burke also highlighted the broader economic argument for prevention over incarceration, noting that the cost of detaining a young person for 12 months is estimated at $2.6 million, funds he said could instead support around 17 youth workers reaching hundreds of young people.
The Foundation will continue advocating for early intervention, community partnerships, and investment in programs that reduce harm before it escalates. Our thoughts are with the young person’s family, friends and wider community.
Listen to full interview below