A total of six teenagers have now been charged over the alleged stabbing of a homeless man in regional Bendigo, after Victoria Police announced a further three arrests this week. The alleged attack, which Victoria Police say occurred in central Bendigo last week, has drawn sharp attention to the safety of rough sleepers in one of Victoria’s largest regional cities.
What police say happened #
Victoria Police said in a statement that officers were called to a location in central Bendigo following reports that a man believed to be sleeping rough had been stabbed. Police allege a group of teenagers carried out the alleged assault, leaving the victim — understood to be an adult male experiencing homelessness — with stab wounds that required hospital treatment. The severity of the injuries has not been confirmed on the public record, and Victoria Police has not released further details about the victim’s current condition, citing privacy considerations.
Investigators from the Loddon Mallee Criminal Investigation Unit are understood to have led the inquiry. VCN understands the investigation moved quickly, with police making the first arrests within days of the alleged incident.
Three more charged — six in total #
Victoria Police confirmed this week that a further three teenagers had been charged in connection with the alleged stabbing, bringing the total number of young people charged to six. Police said in a statement that the additional three were charged following further investigation. The ages and genders of those charged have not been released in full by Victoria Police; VCN is not reporting identifying details of the accused given all six are understood to be under 18 years of age and the matters are before the Children’s Court.
Under Victorian law, children charged with criminal offences are subject to the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (Vic), which places strict restrictions on identifying those involved in Children’s Court proceedings — whether as the accused, as witnesses, or as victims. VCN will not publish information that could identify any of the young people charged.
All six are yet to enter pleas. The matter is expected to be further adjourned in the Children’s Court. All persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Bendigo’s rough-sleeping community: a vulnerable group #
Bendigo has, in recent years, seen growing pressure on its homelessness services. Advocacy groups including Housing for the Aged Action Group and the Bendigo-based Haven Home Safe have repeatedly flagged that demand for emergency accommodation in regional Victoria outstrips supply — a situation that forces many people onto the streets, into parks, and into laneways in and around the city centre.
People experiencing homelessness are disproportionately exposed to violence. Research published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has consistently shown that rough sleepers face dramatically elevated rates of assault and victimisation compared to the general population, and are far less likely to report incidents to police out of fear, distrust, or because they lack access to communication services.
The alleged stabbing in Bendigo reflects a pattern that homelessness advocates say is both under-reported and under-prosecuted across regional Victoria. Tom Whitford, VCN’s regional reporter based in the Goulburn Valley, has covered multiple incidents over the past two years in which people sleeping rough in Shepparton, Bendigo, and Ballarat have been subjected to alleged assaults, many of which never resulted in charges.
Youth crime in regional Victoria: what the picture shows #
The charging of six teenagers in connection with an alleged stabbing will inevitably prompt questions about youth crime in regional Victoria — questions that deserve a measured response grounded in data, not alarm.
Victoria Police’s annual crime statistics, published by the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA), consistently show that youth offending in regional Victoria is concentrated in a relatively small cohort of young people, many of whom have complex trauma histories, child protection involvement, and housing instability of their own. The CSA data also shows that recorded youth crime across Victoria has trended downward over the past decade in most categories, even as public concern has grown.
That context does not diminish the seriousness of the alleged incident in Bendigo. A person sleeping rough was allegedly stabbed by a group of teenagers — that is, on the allegations as police have put them, a profoundly vulnerable person was allegedly targeted in a violent attack. But it does caution against treating this alleged incident as evidence of a broader explosion in youth violence that the data does not bear out.
Youth justice advocates, including those at the Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic), have long argued that early intervention — including secure housing, school engagement, and mental health support — is the most effective tool for reducing violent offending by young people. VCN is not aware of any official comment from YACVic or similar organisations specifically in response to this alleged incident.
Investigation ongoing #
Victoria Police confirmed that the investigation remains open and that detectives from the Loddon Mallee Criminal Investigation Unit continue to examine the circumstances of the alleged attack. Police are urging anyone with information about the incident — including anyone who was in central Bendigo at the relevant time and witnessed anything — to come forward.
Information can be provided to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestoppersvic.com.au. Reports can be made anonymously.
VCN has sought comment from the Officer in Charge of the Loddon Mallee Criminal Investigation Unit and will update this report when a response is received.
What happens next #
The six teenagers charged will next appear in the Children’s Court of Victoria. The Children’s Court operates under a different framework to the adult Magistrates’ and County Court system, with an emphasis on rehabilitation and diversion alongside accountability. Proceedings in the Children’s Court are not open to the general public in the same way as adult courts, and strict publication restrictions apply.
VCN will continue to follow the matter as it progresses through the court system. Because all accused are understood to be minors, we will not be publishing further identifying information about any of the individuals charged, in accordance with our editorial standards and Victorian law. We will report on outcomes as they appear on the public court record.
The matter is currently before the courts. All persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Support services #
If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness or housing crisis in regional Victoria, contact Launch Housing on 1800 825 955 or Haven Home Safe in Bendigo on (03) 5441 4666. The following services are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
- Crime Stoppers — 1800 333 000
- Lifeline — 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636
- 13YARN (First Nations crisis support) — 13 92 76
- Safe Steps (family violence) — 1800 015 188
- 1800RESPECT — 1800 737 732
