A 14-year-old boy involved in a planned stabbing at Ellenbrook Secondary College has been granted permission to travel to Bali, despite objections from prosecutors. The teen is one of 12 youths charged over the December attack, which left a 15-year-old student with a stab wound to the arm and a head laceration.
The attack occurred just after the final school bell, when a group of armed youths entered the school grounds with weapons including a knife, an axe and a baton. The court heard the incident was part of a social media 'game' where rival gangs earned points for violence, with plans made on Snapchat.
Prosecutor Sinead Purvis described the attack as 'premeditated and planned', stating it was 'violence for violence sake'. Judge Wendy Hughes condemned the offending as 'outrageous', saying it terrorised the school community and could have resulted in far more serious harm.
The 14-year-old was sentenced to eight months detention for his role in the stabbing and a separate incident where he chased a boy with a sword. Despite this, he was allowed to travel to Bali for a family holiday, a decision that has sparked public outrage.
The 17-year-old co-accused received a juvenile conditional release order with supervision. The remaining 10 youths are still before the Perth Children's Court.
