Tarneit residents are calling for tougher youth crime laws after teenager Rhyan Singh was brutally stabbed

A Tarneit teenager who was allegedly brutally stabbed in a random attack is bravely pushing for tougher laws with the support of his community.

Hundreds of people have gathered at a rally to support Tarneit teenager Rhyan Singh to call for tougher youth crime laws. Picture: David Crosling

Hundreds of concerned residents from Melbourne’s west have turned out to support a call for tougher youth crime laws a fortnight after a teenager was allegedly brutally stabbed in a random attack.

More than 350 residents gathered at the Baden Powell Drive skatepark in Tarneit on Saturday where Rhyan Singh was allegedly knocked unconscious, robbed and stabbed several times while celebrating his 16th birthday with two friends.

Rhyan, 16, told the Herald Sun he saw “blood everywhere” when he gained consciousness and his ring and little finger were “hanging off” after a “horrifying” ten minutes where he and his friends were allegedly attacked by a group of eight.

Rhyan was rushed to hospital where he required eight hours of micro surgery and several sessions with hand specialists.

Two 16 year olds have since been charged and a 20-year-old man was also arrested.

Ralliers held up signs that read “Save Our Kids” and “Justice for Ryan”, with the group planning to take their protest for tougher youth crime laws to Federation Square on Saturday, August 19.

Rhyan said the rallies were about “fighting for kids to feel safe”.

“It’s a big cause and I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through. I nearly lost my life.”

Rhyan’s mother Sushma Manandhar told the crowd she had questioned whether her decision to migrate to Australia was the right choice in the wake of the incident.

“We feel like we’re stuck in limbo and if we made the right decision to come to Australia,” she said.

“What will happen to the next generation if they don’t even feel safe in their own backyard?”

Hundreds of people have gathered at a rally to support Tarneit teenager Rhyan Singh to call for tougher youth crime laws. Father- Rajiv Singh, Rhyan Singh and mother Sushma Manandhar. Picture: David Crosling

Those in attendance held up signs calling for an end to youth crime. Picture: David Crosling

The group intends to table a petition to parliament - which has so far received more than 1400 signatures - calling for stronger laws to hold youthful offenders “accountable for their crimes [and] provide stronger rehabilitation programs to address the root cause”.

Tarneit local Karina Castillo, who lives near where Rhyan was stabbed, said her son was “terrified” to go out after the incident.

Earlier this year the state government announced it would raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years old to 12, with the aim of lifting it to 14 by 2027.

It comes after three teenagers were stabbed at Watergardens Shopping Centre in Melbourne’s northwest last month, with an 18-year-old and two 17-year-olds later charged.

In June Ethan Hoac, 14, was stabbed to death in St Albans on his way home from a train station while in a separate incident a teenager was left with life-threatening injuries after he was stabbed by another teen on a bus in Preston during a brawl.

In May 16-year-old Pasawm Lyhym was fatally stabbed at Sunshine station.