Arabic version: توجيه اتهامات لمراهقين بعد ادعاء طعن سائحة في كيرنز

According to ABC News, a 25-year-old British woman suffered a serious leg injury after she was allegedly stabbed during a fight in central Cairns on Monday night.

Police said the confrontation involved a group of teenagers and a group of tourists on Spence Street, near the corner of Grafton Street. A man who was also part of the tourist group suffered a hand injury. The woman was taken to Cairns Hospital and has since been discharged.

Four teenagers were found nearby and arrested, police said. A 15-year-old girl has been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and committing an act intended to cause grievous bodily harm. A 16-year-old girl has been charged with three counts of common assault. They are due to face a children’s court later this month, while two other teenagers were released without charge.

Detective Acting Inspector Matthew Hogan said police found a knife after the arrests, but investigations into what prompted the fight were continuing. He said officers, bystanders and security guards from nearby venues helped the injured woman before she was taken to hospital.

Hogan said police understood safety concerns but pointed to prevention work in Cairns, including electronic weapons searches. More than 15,000 people have been electronically searched for weapons in the city since new powers were introduced in July last year, he said.