Police have charged a teenager for allegedly stabbing a 15-year-old at Terrigal on the New South Wales Central Coast on Friday.
The victim remained at the Gosford hospital in critical condition despite undergoing surgery following the stabbing incident, the NSW police said in a statement.
Emergency services responded to a call from a home on Painters Lane about 9.45pm local time after the stabbed teen went to the house seeking help, police said.
Detective chief inspector John Zdrilic told reporters that the investigation was focusing on two groups of teenagers who were in the area during the stabbing.
The victim suffered a single stab wound to the left side and was bleeding heavily when an ambulance attended to the teenager and rushed him to the hospital.
“Those two groups met up in the Terrigal area; they appear to have gone to Painters Lane,” Mr Zdrilic said.
“The 15-year-old who was stabbed was there with two mates, and they met up with another group that could have numbered up to five.”
He said the authorities were working to determine why the groups were in the street and if they were known to each other.
Police on Saturday said they charged a teenager, also 15, with one count of wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The teen was refused bail and will appear before a children’s court on Sunday.
Central Coast councillor Jared Wright warned youth crime in area was “on the rise”.
He said: “If you are out in the community and see something that isn’t quite right, always report it to police and crime stoppers.”
“Our local police have continually told us that there are countless incidents going unreported.”