A search is underway for a man accused of attacking three people, including an elderly man and woman, with an axe in Gippsland. Victoria Police said the alleged attacker remains outstanding and inquiries are continuing across the region.
What police allege happened #
According to a statement from Victoria Police, officers were called to reports of an assault involving an axe in Gippsland. Police allege a man attacked three people during the incident, including an elderly man and woman, who both required medical treatment. VCN understands a third person was also injured, though the full extent of their injuries has not been detailed publicly by police.
Victoria Police said in a statement that the alleged attacker fled the scene before officers arrived and has not yet been located. Police allege the man was armed with an axe at the time of the attack, though this has not been tested in court and no charges have yet been laid.
The search for the alleged attacker #
Victoria Police said patrols, including specialist search resources, have been deployed across the Gippsland area as part of the operation to locate the man. Police have described him only in general terms so far, and VCN understands a more detailed description may be released as the investigation progresses.
Residents in the area have been urged by police to remain vigilant and to contact triple-0 immediately if they believe they have seen the man, rather than approach him. Victoria Police said officers are treating the matter as a priority given the nature of the alleged weapon involved and the injuries sustained by the victims.
Condition of those injured #
Police said the elderly man and woman allegedly attacked were taken to hospital for treatment. VCN has not been able to independently confirm the specific nature or severity of their injuries, and Victoria Police has not released further detail on their condition at this stage. We have been told by sources close to the investigation that all three people involved survived the incident, though this has not been formally confirmed by police.
Under Victorian reporting law, VCN is not identifying any of the three people allegedly attacked. Where an alleged offence involves a family or household relationship, or where identification could indirectly reveal a protected person, further identifying detail will not be published by this masthead.
What happens next #
Because no arrest has yet been made, no charges have been laid and the alleged attacker has not been identified or apprehended, this remains very much an active investigation rather than a matter before the courts. Victoria Police said inquiries are ongoing and that anyone with information, including dashcam or CCTV footage from the area at the relevant time, is urged to come forward.
Should the man be located and arrested, he would be expected to appear before a Victorian court, at which point he would be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. VCN will continue to follow this matter and provide updates as police release further information.
Understanding Gippsland’s policing footprint #
Gippsland covers a vast stretch of eastern Victoria, from the Latrobe Valley through to the far east near the New South Wales border, and is serviced by a mix of local police stations and regional response teams. Incidents involving weapons in regional and rural areas can present particular challenges for police, given the larger distances officers may need to travel and the more limited coverage of CCTV infrastructure compared with metropolitan Melbourne.
Victoria Police’s regional operations often rely heavily on community reporting in exactly these kinds of searches, which is why police have specifically appealed to Gippsland residents for information. VCN readers in the region are reminded that reporting suspicious activity, rather than intervening directly, is the safest course of action while an alleged offender remains at large.
Why we report it this way #
VCN is an independent news publication and is not part of Victoria Police. Throughout this report, allegations attributed to police are described as exactly that — allegations — because no charges have yet been laid and no court has made any finding in this matter. Terms such as “the alleged attacker” and “police allege” are used deliberately, in line with Victorian defamation and contempt law, to ensure fairness to all parties, including a person who has not yet been identified, located or given the opportunity to respond to any allegation.
This approach also protects the three people allegedly attacked. Under the Judicial Proceedings Reports Act 1958 (Vic), particular categories of victims cannot be identified in media reporting, and VCN applies a conservative standard to any case involving vulnerable people, including elderly victims of alleged violent crime, until and unless a court process determines otherwise.
The matter is ongoing #
Victoria Police has indicated the investigation into the alleged axe attack is continuing, and that further updates will be provided as the search progresses. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or triple-0 in an emergency. No person has been arrested or charged in relation to this matter at the time of publication, and the man sought by police is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Readers affected by violent crime or seeking support can contact the Sexual Assault Crisis Line on 1800 806 292, Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre on 1800 015 188, or Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis support. Beyond Blue can be reached on 1300 22 4636, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers can contact 13YARN on 13 92 76.
