Man stabbed, man arrested after dance studio bathroom confrontation
A parent stabbed trying to apprehend another man over the alleged sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl in a Sydney dance studio bathroom may be recommended for a bravery award, police said today.
NSW
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A parent stabbed trying to apprehend another man over the alleged sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl in a Sydney dance studio bathroom may be recommended for a bravery award, police said today.
Officers were called to St George Dance Centre on Derby St in Kogarah last night to reports a fight had broken out between two men in the bathroom of the studio about 8pm.
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“The male was aware that the child could not be accounted for and was assisting others in locating her,” Superintendent Julian Griffiths said this morning.
The 46-year-old was stabbed in the neck and abdomen and was taken to St George Hospital, where he remained in a stable condition late last night.
A man, 54, was arrested and taken to the same hospital under police guard with bruises on his face after suffering head injuries.
Supt Griffiths said police are considering formally awarding the man for his bravery.
“If the investigation does identify that recognition is required in a more formal way then we will initiate that,” he said.
Police said witnesses came to the injured man’s aid and detained the offender until the arrival of authorities.
Mo Hariri was celebrating his 24th birthday with his friends in the courtyard area of his family’s chicken shop when the group overheard an eruption of angry noise from the St George Dance Studio across the road.
“We thought someone was having a heart attack or something but then this bloke runs out screaming: ‘call the police,” Mr Hariri said.
“He looked so scared like he was having a panic attack.”
The group ran over but before they could help they overheard a beauty therapist already on the phone to police telling them that a man had been stabbed.
Only minutes later the group witnessed the victim hobbling down the stairs clutching his multiple stab wounds.
“He walked down on his own. My friend Mohammad applied pressure on the wounds till the cops and ambos came, then they did their thing,” Mr Hariri said.
“The guy had really bad bleeding, but nothing dramatic.”
The victim was stabbed with a scalpel in the stomach, arm and ear and neck area, according to Mr Hariri.
“The wounds were like he’d been slashed at,” he said.
When police arrived they swarmed the dance studio.
“There was like 15 cops and only three stayed downstairs the rest went up to the top to sort it out,” Mr Hariri said.
A short time later a third man with injuries to his eyebrow and cheekbone area came down the stairs.
Hariri Chickens employee Prakash Sapokota, 19, said he heard a man scream while he was working inside the shop.
“We heard him scream: where’s my daughter?” Mr Prakash said.
Forensics arrived at 10.30pm to examine the crime scene.
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