Teen Stabbing Survivor and Family Demand Stronger Knife Laws in South Australia
A teenager who narrowly escaped death after being stabbed multiple times is joining his family in a heartfelt plea to South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas. They are urging the government to toughen the state's knife laws, arguing that many young people "don't understand what blades do to people." This call to action comes as the family shares their harrowing experience to prevent similar tragedies.
A Night Out Turns into a Nightmare
Ryan Holland, aged 17, faced a life-threatening ordeal during what was supposed to be a normal evening in Port Lincoln. He was knifed in the chest, resulting in severe injuries that included losing several litres of blood and part of his lung. He spent 30 hours in a coma and underwent emergency surgery as doctors battled to save his life.
His mother, Bianca O'Donohoe, recounted the terrifying moments, saying, "He was internally bleeding. His whole lung was full of blood." Ryan himself expressed his fear, stating, "I didn't know if I was going to die or... I was scared, to be honest — very, very scared." After the initial surgery, he was airlifted to Adelaide and placed in an induced coma for recovery.
Physical Recovery Masks Psychological Scars
While Ryan has physically recovered from the stabbing, the psychological trauma continues to haunt him. He revealed, "I have frequent nightmares. I can't hear loud bangs — they remind me of getting hit in the head with a bat. Beeping reminds me of the ICU." This ongoing distress underscores the long-term impact of such violent incidents on survivors.
Advocating for Change and Education
Now speaking out publicly, Ryan aims to stop other young people from carrying knives and to pressure the government into action. He emphasised, "We need to teach this at schools — why you can't, what blades do to people, and it's not a badge of honour to wear a knife." His mother added, "We need to fix it before we start losing more children to knife crime. Our laws just aren't strong enough."
The family is calling for expanded police powers, noting that while SA Police recently gained authority to use metal detectors in metropolitan shopping centres, these measures do not apply to regional areas like Port Lincoln. They point to Queensland's reforms following the 2019 stabbing death of 17-year-old Jack Beasley, which allow police to wand "anytime, anywhere." Ryan's family wants South Australia to adopt similar measures.
A Personal Plea for Prevention
Bianca O'Donohoe stressed the importance of community and governmental efforts, saying, "We need to be even checking our own children's packs. We need to make sure that we're educating our children at home. It starts at home — and then our government needs to help with that." Ryan reflected on his close brush with death, noting, "If you hit one major blood vessel, you are gone. And I'm just lucky. I don't know how I survived, honestly." His story serves as a powerful reminder of the urgent need for reform to combat knife crime and protect young lives.
