A harrowing and brutal attack has shaken an affluent Melbourne suburb, leaving an 18-year-old woman fighting for her life after being stabbed eleven times in her own driveway. The victim, who has now been revealed as the daughter of esteemed Ear, Nose and Throat specialist Dr Philip Michael, was ambushed in the early hours of Wednesday morning outside the family's multi-million dollar mansion in Miller Grove, Kew.
A Terrifying Ambush in the Early Hours
The young woman was returning home from a night out with friends at approximately 1am when she was allegedly set upon by a male assailant who had been hiding in the bushes near her residence. According to Victoria Police, the attacker, described as a man known to the victim and of a similar age, approached her as she was about to enter the family home and proceeded to stab her multiple times in a sudden and violent assault.
Superintendent Wayne Cheesman provided a chilling account of the incident, stating, 'She gets dropped off at her residence in Kew and there's a male who is known to her - he's also of similar age - and he approaches her in her driveway as she's about to enter the family home and he stabs her multiple times.' He emphasised the senseless nature of the crime, adding, 'Just a young girl who was minding her own business walking home in the safety of her own driveway.'
Life-Threatening Injuries and a Grim Discovery
The victim sustained severe upper and mid-body injuries during the frenzied attack, with her condition initially assessed as life-threatening by emergency services. Medical professionals have since indicated that she is now in a stable condition, following urgent treatment. The crime scene presented a disturbing picture, with blood found splattered across the driveway, on a parked blue Porsche, and on the fence of the two-storey property. A 20cm kitchen knife was reportedly recovered by police from a garden at the scene.
In a deeply troubling twist to the case, just hours after the stabbing, police were called to a location in Antwerp, approximately 350 kilometres north-west of Melbourne and 18km north of Dimboola in western Victoria. At 6.15am, the body of an 18-year-old male was discovered. Authorities have confirmed that the deceased youth and the stabbing victim were known to each other, with a possible school link between them. Victoria Police have stated that the man's death is not being treated as suspicious and that a report will be prepared for the Coroner. The deceased was already known to police.
A Prestigious Family and a Community in Shock
The attack has brought unwelcome attention to the family of Dr Philip Michael, a respected medical professional who practices privately through Cabrini Hospital in Malvern, The Epworth Hospital in Richmond, and a clinic in Berwick. The family's Kew home, last purchased for $2.8 million in 2018, became the centre of a major police investigation. A spokesperson for Dr Michael's Berwick clinic declined to comment on the distressing matter.
The incident has left the normally tranquil neighbourhood of Kew reeling. One neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, described being left 'shaking' by the events, telling reporters, 'It's been a very long night, we haven't had any sleep.' The blue Porsche, understood to have been inspected by forensic officers, remained in the driveway throughout Wednesday, parked in the carport where it was being charged.
Police Investigation and Community Impact
Detectives from the Boroondara Crime Investigation Unit have been actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the violent assault. A Victoria Police spokesman confirmed that detectives were searching for the 18-year-old Camberwell man in connection with the stabbing but are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident following the discovery of the body in Antwerp.
Superintendent Cheesman reflected on the profound sadness of the case, questioning, 'How an 18-year-old boy can, for whatever reason, think that it's okay to approach a girl he knows and stab her multiple times in her own home is really sad and I don't know how people get to that point.' The investigation continues as authorities work to piece together the full sequence of events that led to such a tragic outcome in two separate locations across the state of Victoria.
