Holiday stabbing

By Melissa Meehan
INSTEAD of joining the rest of Victoria watching the ‘race that stops the nation’, a Springvale woman was taken to hospital in a serious condition after being stabbed at her local shopping centre.
While the majority of Melburnians enjoyed a day off work in front of the television cheering their favourite horses to victory, the woman was left nursing her wounds in The Alfred hospital.
Police are seeking a man, still at large, in relation to the stabbing outside the Springvale Central Shopping Centre on Tuesday.
Police say that Tuesday’s public holiday meant there were many witnesses to the alleged attack.
Detectives from the Greater Dandenong area are investigating the incident that left a woman aged in her early twenties in a serious but stable condition.
Shortly after midday, the woman who was walking past the shopping centre located on the intersection of Windsor and Buckingham Streets was approached by a man police believe was known to her.
According to police, the woman suffered numerous wounds and was taken to the Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital for treatment.
An extensive search by local police and the air wing failed to locate the man.
Investigators have released an image of the man they would like to speak to, and have urged him to contact police as soon as possible.
The stabbing follows the launch of Operation Safe Streets II, a police initiative to target known offenders and identify trouble spots such as train stations and shopping strips.
Since September there has been an increase in daily foot patrols, dedicated vehicles and brawler vans and will continue through to March next year.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.