Man stabbed in neck at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre
An officer at Malmsbury’s justice centre has been stabbed in the neck with a makeshift weapon in the latest incident in a string of attacks on prison workers in Victoria’s correctional system.
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A worker has been stabbed in the neck with a makeshift weapon at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre.
Paramedics confirmed they were called to the Mollison St prison about 1.15pm on Wednesday following reports of a man with injuries to his upper body.
The Herald Sun understands the officer was conducting a room search when the client resisted and lunged at the officer with the makeshift weapon - the end of a broom handle fashioned into a shiv.
The assault occurred within the high security Ulabara unit and has left the officer with punctured and scraped skin wounds.
The alleged assault caused the prison to go into lockdown for several hours yesterday afternoon.
Victoria Police confirmed they are investigating an alleged assault which caused a man in his 40s to sustain non-life threatening injuries.
The officer is from the specialist Safety and Emergency Response Team (SERT) which deals with incidents and problematic clients in the youth justice system.
The Herald Sun has previously reported SERT officers have increasingly become a target of young offenders.
Their role is to use de-escalation and negotiation techniques with troublesome clients.
There has been a long succession of violent incidents at Malmsbury in recent months.
Staff have suffered broken bones and facial injuries in attacks by teenagers at the central Victorian facility.
A statement from the Department of Justice and Community Safety said the staff member has been transported to hospital.
“As with all incidents or allegations of violence or assault, the matter has been referred to Victoria Police,” the statement said.
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“Violent behaviour or assaults at youth justice centres are absolutely unacceptable.
“The safety of staff, young people and the community is of the utmost importance.
“New laws are now in effect that strengthen consequences for young people who assault youth justice custodial workers, damage property and for those who escape or try to escape.
“This includes a presumption they will serve their sentences on top of an existing period of detention.”