New vision shows rival youths in daylight knife chase before Pasawm Lyhym’s death

Confronting new vision shows rival youths facing off outside Sunshine train station in the weeks leading up to the stabbing death of Pasawm Lyhym.

Confronting new vision has emerged of members from two rival school groups in Melbourne’s west facing off in the weeks leading up to the stabbing of Pasawm Lyhym.

It comes after the brutal slaying of 16-year-old Pasawm last week, allegedly knifed to death by a group of rival youths near Sunshine train station.

The Herald Sun first revealed an ongoing “beef” between Pasawm and his alleged teen rival, 17-year-old Mayik Atem last week.

In a new 12-second clip shared to social media, three individuals are seen confronting a schoolboy appearing to wear a Caroline Chisholm Catholic College uniform.

Moments later a boy lifts his blue hooded jumper to reveal a machete in the waistband of his sweat pants, as two others attempt to affront their victim.

The new 12-second video shows the confrontation between a group and a school kid. Picture: TikTok

One of the boys in the video appears to be brandishing a machete. Picture: TikTok

The shocking encounter takes place in broad daylight in front of horrified bystanders – some of them fellow school pupils – as the victim flees for safety away from Sunshine station.

The brazen trio quickly give chase, trailing the young man across a busy road.

In a separate clip, a group of youths – one wearing red sweat pants with machete in hand – gives chase to a youth across the junction packed with students.

The Herald Sun does not suggest that Pasawm featured in the new vision which emerged.

But those known to the rival groups speculated the earlier incidents may have spurred the reprisal attack on Staughton College Student Pasawm.

Images of possible suspects were widely circulated online as Pasawm’s friends vowed to “get back” on those linked to their friend’s death.

‘Identity crisis’ driving spike in violent youth crime

Leaders across Melbourne’s multicultural communities have blamed a spike in violent crimes being committed by young people on teenagers needing to feel like they “belong”.

Just days after a schoolboy was stabbed to death in a brazen daylight slaying in Sunshine, families and schools are being begged to ramp up efforts to thwart the number of youths gravitating towards anti-social group behaviours.

African Youth Initiative chief executive Robiel Abraham told the Herald Sun young people struggled to balance their culture at home with adjusting to life in Australia.

“Our youth are facing an identity crisis. This is the underlying issue beneath this increase in violent crimes by young people,” he said.

“Young people get to an age where feeling like you belong becomes paramount, especially as they enter their teenage years. This leaves young people exposed to the dangers of imitating anti-social behaviours in attempts to belong to a group.”

Shadow Police Minister Brad Battin says concerns have been raised with his office about the lack of preventive action targeting violent youths. Picture: Aaron Francis

Homicides and extortion allegedly committed by youths aged between 10 and 17 years old have more than doubled in the last five years, up from 9 recorded offences in 2018 to 29 last year.

More than twice the number of youths have been busted with prohibited or controlled weapons in that time, and recorded firearms offences among that cohort have spiked by 56 per cent.

According to the figures released to the Herald Sun by the Crime Statistics Agency, common assault has risen by a third and the number of riot and affray offences has almost doubled.

The number of kids who have allegedly assaulted a police or authorised officer jumped 29 per cent, up from 233 offences to 301 in 2022.

Pasawm Lyhym, 16, was fatally stabbed at Sunshine Station.

Monica Deng, co-founder of South Sudanese Australian Youth United (SSAYU), which runs youth intervention and sporting initiatives across Melton and Dandenong, said it was crucial to target group “ring leaders” whose crimes affected both youths and their families.

The best impact will come from families.

The trauma of many families fleeing war-torn countries and students struggling to engage with their schooling have been raised as key drivers behind the rise of violent offences.

Mr Abraham called for more prevention measures to target kids earlier in life to stop them from falling into dangerous behaviours.

While the Andrews government will spend about $4.5m each year in the next three years on preventing youth crime, funding for youth justice community services and resources for monitoring offenders in the community will not be renewed.

Minister for Crime Prevention Anthony Carbines said Victoria Police was taking “all necessary steps” to disrupt youth crime.

“We have made record investments in Victoria Police to ensure they have the resources and tools they need to detect and deter crime and keep our community safe,” he said.

Friends pay tribute to 16-year-old Pasawm Lyhym after his death in Sunshine. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

“It’s important to recognise that only a small number of young people are involved in serious violent crime, and even fewer first-time offenders.

“However we know more work needs to be done - that’s why the Budget continues to back early intervention and crime prevention programs to empower communities and support young people away from crime.”

Shadow Police Minister Brad Battin said concerns had been raised with his office about anti-social behaviour around train stations and the lack of preventive action targeting violent youths, and in extreme cases, youth gangs.

“They (the government) are failing to start engaging kids at a younger age … they are happy to wait until an offence has happened,” he said.

“Until you have a policy change that focuses on putting money into frontline policing and prevention of crime with youth, you won’t see a change.”

It comes after the brazen stabbing death of 16-year-old schoolboy Pasawm Lyhym on Thursday last week.

Police have been searching for 17-year-old Mayik Atem, who is allegedly linked to the stabbing, since Friday.