The sister of a woman who was allegedly stabbed at random on a Melbourne street has condemned the Victorian Government for what she describes as a slow and “passive” response following the shocking attack.
36-year-old sushi chef, Wan-Ting Lai, was walking to work on October 2 when she was allegedly stabbed in the chest by a stranger near the intersection of Little Bourke Street and Spencer Street in Melbourne’s CBD.
Police say 32-year-old Lauren Darul approached Ms Lai from behind before stabbing her once on the right side of her chest and fleeing the scene. CCTV footage reportedly captured the terrifying moment the suspect looked her victim in the eye before carrying out the attack.
At the time of the incident, Darul was already wanted by police for missing a scheduled mental health appointment and was on bail for unrelated charges. She has since been charged with intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury, and committing an indictable offence while on bail.
Darul appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court via videolink from the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre on Tuesday. She withdrew her bail application shortly before the hearing began.
In the days following the attack, Ms Lai’s sister, Ivana Lai, lodged a formal complaint to the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety, criticising the delay in support for her injured sibling.
Ivana said she first contacted the department on October 3, the day after the attack, but did not receive a response until October 17 nearly two weeks later.
“Victims who have already suffered physically and emotionally should not be forced to bear the additional burden of time, money, and complex bureaucracy on their own,” Ivana wrote.
“The government’s slow and passive compensation process amounts to a second trauma for law-abiding citizens.”
In her original email, Ivana described her sister’s pain as “so severe that she has difficulty eating, chewing, and swallowing. Even walking to the bathroom is an immense struggle. Every breath she takes is agony.”
A government spokesperson later replied on behalf of the Minister for Victims, Anthony Carbines, offering immediate and longer-term support. However, Ivana said the delayed response only added to the family’s distress.
Wan-Ting Lai, who works as a sushi chef at Maki Roll near Southern Cross Station, has spoken publicly for the first time about her painful recovery and ongoing trauma.
“I’m still recovering physically and emotionally, “I truly hope the justice system prioritises community safety.”
Ms Lai said she still relies on painkillers to manage her injuries and struggles to leave the house alone. She has also shared online that she is now afraid to return to the scene of the attack.
“I longed to return to Melbourne, where I could live peacefully and breathe happily,” she wrote. “Two voices in my head alternate: fear and the hope to bravely step forward.”
Despite her ordeal, Ms Lai expressed gratitude toward the strangers who rushed to help her immediately after the stabbing.
“Their kindness and timely actions bought me precious time for treatment,” she said. “Life is fragile, but by supporting each other, we can make this world a safer place.”
Ms Lai spent three days at the Royal Melbourne Hospital before she was able to walk to the bathroom again and now faces a long road to full recovery.
Police later informed Ms Lai that her alleged attacker was living in a council-supported housing complex for people experiencing homelessness.
As Ms Lai continues her recovery, her family hopes that her case will lead to reforms ensuring faster support for victims and tighter oversight of at-risk individuals in the community.
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