A chef was stabbed while walking to work in Melbourne’s central business district in the early morning of October 2. The victim, a 36-year-old woman, was walking along Little Bourke Street at around 7:40 am when another woman ran up behind her, touched her lower back, and then stabbed her in the right side of the chest.

Passers-by rushed to help, and the victim was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital, where doctors said she had suffered a hemopneumothorax—a build-up of blood and air around the lung—making it difficult to breathe.

Police arrested the attacker soon after the incident and seized a knife. The suspect was reportedly on bail at the time and has been charged with two counts of intentionally causing injury and committing an indictable offence while on bail.

The victim has since moved out of her home, saying she no longer feels safe and is constantly looking over her shoulder. Her sister said the trauma has left her fearful of going out in public and expressed frustration with delays in compensation and relocation assistance.

The incident has raised concerns about safety in Melbourne’s CBD. Authorities and local building managers have since increased patrols and security presence, urging pedestrians to remain alert and aware of their surroundings.