A young apprentice tradie king-hit and stabbed during a night out is furious that his alleged attackers remain out on the streets and fears Queensland‘s youth crime crisis is ‘going to explode’ unless the government intervenes.
Rial Malual, 21, says he’s lucky to be alive as he recovers in hospital with a collapsed lung, five days after he was allegedly robbed and attacked in Fortitude Valley, a popular nightclub precinct in Brisbane.
Just one boy, 17, has been charged over the alleged attack and is already back on the streets, despite prosecutors strongly recommending bail be refused when he faced court on Tuesday.
Four other young males remain on the run.
The apprentice electrician was angry to learn his alleged attacker was released on bail as he issued a desperate plea to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to do more.
Rial Malual is still struggling to breathe after he was allegedly king-hit and stabbed – causing his lung to collapse
‘What’s the Premier doing about this?’ Mr Malual told Nine News from his hospital bed.
‘If there’s no consequences put in place soon this is going to explode.’
‘It’ll be knife crime central, people will no longer go out or feel safe.’
It was one of three alleged incidents in Fortitude Valley in the early hours of Sunday.
Another 21-year-old and a 23-year-old were also targeted in suspected robberies carried out by a gang of ‘four or five’.
‘Where is the justice?’ Mr Malual added.
‘For me and those other two blokes, it’s a slap in the face.’
‘It’s a slap in the face to wake up in a hospital bed and he gets to go home.
‘I go home in pain. There’s no justice for me. The other blokes are still in hospital. What’s the justice system doing?
Mr Malual was allegedly ambushed by a young gang wearing balaclavas as he left the Dirty Sultan rooftop cocktail bar about 3.20am on Sunday.
The group allegedly demanded his gold necklace and king-hit the victim as he tried to hand the jewellery over.
There are growing calls for Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to ramp up the state’s youth crime laws
Rial Malual (pictured) is outraged over the court’s decision to allow his alleged attacker back on the streets
‘They were like, ‘Give us your chain, give us your chain, give us your chain’ and I was like, ‘Relax,” Mr Malual told the Today Show.
‘(I) copped one on the side and at that point I’ve just gone high guard protecting myself and I’m still in the circle getting pumped on.’
‘In that situation, I put my pride to the side because at the end of the day, I don’t want my mum crying over my casket.’
He had no idea he had been stabbed until he stumbled into the nearby police station to get help.
‘The police officer stopped me and was like, ‘You’ve got a lot of blood on your shirt, whose is that?” Mr Malual said.
‘And I lifted my shirt up and I was just leaking, just leaking, and at that point that’s when the shock had set in.’
A 17-year-old was later charged with one count each of robbery with violence, grievous bodily harm and stealing after allegedly attempting to flee the scene.
‘You are a cold-hearted individual, you are a coward and you’re not tough,’ Mr Malual said.
Rial Malual is still in hospital five days after the alleged attack in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley
He said he is lucky to be alive.
‘I’m blessed. The doctor said I was very close to being the Grim Reaper’s best mate,’ he said.
Premier Palaszczuk defended her government’s youth crime crisis measures on Wednesday.
She told reporters police had the opportunity to appeal the alleged attacker’s bail decision.
Queensland Police are desperate track down at least four other males involved.
‘These four to five males that are still outstanding, I have requested all available detectives in the Brisbane city area to work around the clock until we locate them,’ Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said earlier in the week.
‘That will only be a matter of time and I’m confident in the coming days we will have all four or five or those males in handcuffs.’
A new poll released on Tuesday suggests the Palaszczuk government is on track to lose next year’s state election.
Premier Palaszczuk was edged out as preferred premier by Opposition Leader David Crisafulli in the poll of 1065 voters, which found Labor’s primary vote had fallen to 34 per cent.
The young tradie was allegedly attacked and stabbed while leaving the Dirty Sultan
