Teen jailed for random, frenzied knife attack on girl, 11, on street in front of his neighbours

A TROUBLED teen who went on a random, frenzied knife attack against an 11-year-old girl in full view of his neighbours has been sentenced to four years jail

A troubled teen who went on a random, frenzied knife attack against an 11-year-old girl in full view of his neighbours has been sentenced to four years jail

A TROUBLED young man who went on a random, frenzied knife attack against an 11-year-old girl when he was just 18, in full view of his neighbours, has been sentenced to four years jail.

The victim was playing games on her mobile phone as she was walking down the street in Hermannsburg with her friend before the offender spontaneously pushed her to the ground and stabbed her eight times.

Raphael Emitja, 20, pleaded guilty in the Alice Springs Supreme Court to giving rise to the danger of death following the unexplained attack against the girl in November last year.

Chief Justice Michael Grant said it was a “savage” and “terrifying attack” that Emitja committed when he was just 18-years- old.

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“The mother’s initial reaction was disbelief, panic and fear that this had happened to her daughter,” he said.

“She’s anxious when her daughter goes to play with friends. The mother says quite rightly that violence against children of this sort should never be tolerated.”

On the night of the attack, Emitja saw the victim walking outside with her friend about 6pm before he armed himself with a kitchen knife with a 20cm blade.

Emitja followed the two girls down the street and pushed the victim to the ground before stabbing her eight times on her face and body as neighbours witnessed the attack.

The neighbours intervened to save the girl, including a man who armed himself with a shovel and a woman who let the girls run into her house.

The offender fled the scene and threw the knife away but police located and arrested him soon after. The girl was taken to the Alice Springs Hospital for surgical treatment.

Crown prosecutor Glen Dooley said it was lucky the girl did not sustain more life-threatening injuries.

“A number of people went to the aid of the victim clearly interrupting and disrupting the offender rather than any clear indication that he desisted on his own,” he said.

The court heard Emitja had a history of trauma, emotional neglect, anger management and made disturbing statements to a psychiatrist.

“(The psychiatrist) reported she harbours a significant concern that you exhibit what she describes as a simmering delusional system involving harm to others,” Mr Grant said.

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Defence lawyer Danielle Cooper said it would be a difficult sentencing exercise to balance the need to protect the community and Emitja’s troubled background.

“Mr Emitja’s prospects for rehabilitation are not lost,” she said.

Emitja was sentenced to four years in jail with a non-parole period of two years and six months.