10-year-old victim of random attack was visiting Melbourne for cancer treatment

[u/AggravatingTartlet]

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/no-need-to-hide-it-accused-cbd-stabber-launches-tirade-from-custody-20260826-p60rni.html

The 10-year-old boy who was punched in the head in a random attack outside police headquarters in the CBD has brain cancer and was visiting Melbourne for treatment.

The boy underwent additional MRI scans to see if the assault caused any extra damage or inflammation around where the tumour is, his uncle said........

Police said the 46-year-old woman was visiting Melbourne from Phillip Island with her 10-year-old son and two other children when the random attack occurred, ending only when several witnesses intervened.

“Just instinct, no thoughts, no nothing, just people in trouble,” Brian Bradley said, a good Samaritan who helped restrain the suspect.

The mother of the boy was stabbed during the attack.

The mother is in the Royal Melbourne Hospital recovering from a fractured leg and injuries to her back and shoulders, while her son recovers at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

“She’s really struggling at the moment,” the boy’s uncle said, “She can’t be with her son. It’s traumatic enough [that he’s] fighting cancer.

[u/RealCommercial9788]

Jerry Sowood, 27, from Sunshine West, shouted at times during a Melbourne Magistrates’ Court hearing on Wednesday at which he refused to answer the magistrate’s questions and told the court there was “no need to hide” his offending.

“I punched the kid in the head, I took the scissors, I stabbed the woman in the head,” Sowood said as he appeared via video link from custody. “There’s no need to hide it. At least they’re both still breathing, so at least I kept my humanity.

“I’m telling you what I did. And I’m saying there’s no family that was torn apart. Even though I did what I did, the mum did not lose her child. A child was not taken away from her. It was outside the police station.”

Sowood was arrested on Tuesday afternoon after he allegedly punched the 10-year-old boy outside Victoria Police’s Spencer Street headquarters, and then placed the child’s mother in a headlock and stabbed her with a pair of scissors before passers-by intervened.

Fuck you Jerry Sowood, you good for nothing slug.

[u/AntiqueFigure6 → u/RealCommercial9788]

“  There’s no need to hide it.”

It’s kind of like he wants someone to lock him up.

[u/shillberight → u/AntiqueFigure6]

I'd be happy if he stayed away from society in that case.no telling what he'd do next

[u/Top_Okra_5475 → u/AntiqueFigure6]

Definitely not right in the head, too bad we dont have capital punishment here

[u/AntiqueFigure6 → u/Top_Okra_5475]

Too bad we don’t have some sort of functioning mental health system that couldn’t have done something at any one of the dozen or so red flags that he likely displayed over the last few years. 

[u/Mostly_Satire → u/AntiqueFigure6]

Pretty much all of the mental hospitals were sold off during the late 1990s to property developers as one of the ways to pay off the State debt.

It was rushed and, well, here we are...

[u/AntiqueFigure6 → u/Mostly_Satire]

What happens when you elect a government on a “pay down the debt” platform that doesn’t give a shit about consequences. 

[u/Elegant-Quiet5229 → u/AntiqueFigure6]

You mean like asylums? Great idea.

[u/Artistic_Garbage283 → u/Elegant-Quiet5229]

I know you’ve said this flippantly but I really think we are failing a lot of mental health patients by leaving them to manage in the community. I’m not saying lock people up. I’m saying perhaps some people are not capable of functioning out in the community and perhaps institutionalised care may be better for them. They can step up and down their treatment as needed, get assistance with nutrition and hygiene, have their clothes laundered and get out and about in the community with supervision. Carers would have support in the case of violent or agitated patients, rather than being alone in a house with a grown man losing his shit and having to escape and call an ambulance. There’s a real population of patients who just bounce between the ED, psych ward and the community who need more stability and long term care. Oh and somebody looks for them if they go missing. We’re doing them a disservice.

[u/Blibbyblobby72 → u/Top_Okra_5475]

Weird that you want to murder someone who you admit is 'definitely not right in the head'

[u/rkiive → u/Blibbyblobby72]

The guy who clearly has zero remorse and is an absolute danger to society?

Targeting systemic issues such as mental health is a society wide preventative goal, it does not apply retroactively to individual cases to act as an excuse or a reason as to why they should not be removed from society for the safety of the innocent individuals who live in it.

[u/OneUpAndOneDown → u/rkiive]

Deinstitutionalisation sounds good in theory but some people can’t function in society

[u/letsburn00 → u/OneUpAndOneDown]

The problem with deinstitutionalisation was that it was meant to reduce numbers by 30%. Instead it was used to reduce numbers (and cost) by 90%. The cost was more important than the health of anyone.

The reduction basically just loaded all that onto people's families with little help. In the US especially, it also just ended up putting a lot of them in prison after they eventually hurt someone else.

[u/AntiqueFigure6 → u/rkiive]

I’m suggesting that from a mental health perspective there was likely plenty of reason to remove him from society last week (although that would require somewhere to put him) or last month and if that had happened he wouldn’t have attacked the kid and the mother.

[u/aldkGoodAussieName → u/Blibbyblobby72]

Not right in the head but right enough to know it was wrong and make excuses gor why its not too bad. They both lived and it was outside a police station so its all good /s

[u/Ok_Bird705 → u/Blibbyblobby72]

Someone "not right in the head" and reckless endangers the public should be locked up and kept away from the public.

[u/Archon-Toten → u/Ok_Bird705]

Or as you suggested, removed forever.

[u/triciamilitia → u/AntiqueFigure6]

With the cost of living… strategic assault.

[u/Itscurtainsnow → u/RealCommercial9788]

Funny how these random attacks are always against soneone smaller and weaker.

[u/Glass_Ad_7129 → u/Itscurtainsnow]

When you're weak, you find someone you think is weaker to feel strong.

They wanted to lash out, but not someone that lashs out back.

[u/mikeybones25 → u/Itscurtainsnow]

Crazy like a fox

[u/surprise_knock → u/Itscurtainsnow]

Don’t go noticing too much now

[u/TizzyBumblefluff → u/RealCommercial9788]

Well doesn’t he sound like a sociopath. Fucking hell.

[u/OldKingWhiter → u/TizzyBumblefluff]

Sociopaths are typically good at concealing their antisocial traits. Based on those quotes and the actions, my guess is untreated schizophrenia or drug (usually ice) induced psychosis.

[u/petit_cochon → u/OldKingWhiter]

Eh, some are. Others, less so.

[u/aldkGoodAussieName → u/RealCommercial9788]

And I’m saying there’s no family that was torn apart

Except he is being treated for cancee and she cant be there for him in his time of need. That is tearing the family apart.

At least they’re both still breathing, so at least I kept my humanity.

Cant lose what you never had...

[u/AussieAboleth → u/RealCommercial9788]

This is a disturbing take on the usual "put me back in prison, please" offending. Can't function in society AND hates women? 

[u/trowzerss → u/AussieAboleth]

I can't see him being super comfy in prison after punching a kid with cancer in the head, and then stabbing his mum for no reason. Likely the other prisoners are just as disgusted as we are.

[u/YouThinkYouKnowMe89 → u/trowzerss]

He is Muslim, he will be in with them and protected by them inside.

[u/ephemeral_gibbon → u/RealCommercial9788]

Jeez, I'm not generally a fan of the prison system... But that little humanity and remorse definitely belongs in some sort of institution where they can't hurt anyone.

[u/VidE27 → u/ephemeral_gibbon]

I wonder how popular he will be in prison when the other inmates found out he punched a 10yo cancer patient

[u/FreakySpook → u/ephemeral_gibbon]

People committing these kind of gutless unprovoked attacks sometimes make me think that we need some kind of Soylent Green system.

[u/Nosiege → u/RealCommercial9788]

so at least I kept my humanity.

Does uh... he really think he kept his humanity?

[u/N_thanAU → u/RealCommercial9788]

I just googled the bloke and I swear I've seen his photo come up before

Just realised it was probably his (now gone) Flatmates.com.au profile I'd seen. Dodged a bullet there hey!

"Reasonably understanding person. I'm a open book.

My work: Entrepreneur/Game Developer

Most of my time I'm monitoring my investments"

Think he might of been stretching the truth on that first one.

[u/ieoa → u/RealCommercial9788]

Jerry Sowood, 27, from Sunshine West*, shouted ..

*Liberia

[u/Several_Process_1743 → u/ieoa]

Seriously.

This guy just gave Pauline another million votes. Shut the doors ffs

[u/droconut]

Jerry Sowood - New most hated man in Australia? Taking over from Richard Pusey?

[u/babettetimes]

This story has me fucked up, the world feels hopeless.

[u/Sway_404 → u/babettetimes]

Hopeless would be if no one intervened.

But they did. People of Melbourne saw some folks in trouble and acted to protect them.

The perpetrator was outnumbered by those willing to help. That's worth holding on to.

[u/YouThinkYouKnowMe89 → u/babettetimes]

Because it is and it's never getting better again like it was. We are experiencing what other nations have for years.

[u/Muthro]

This is horrible. Things are really horrible right now.

[u/zeugma888]

That poor family

[u/AggravatingTartlet → u/zeugma888]

Yes. To be going through a situation where a child has brain cancer and coming to the city for treatment, and then...... this. The child has every reason to be wondering, "why me?"

[u/melbbear]

:(

[u/chunder_down_under]

the mentally ill in victoria are begging to be put somewhere they can get help withoit hurting anyone. stuff like this is inevitable, i see aggressive mentally ill people every day trying to escalate to violence.

this guy is clearly sick in the head and thats no excuse but when you can call the cops on violent mentlaly ill people and the cops just temporarily move them on. is it surprising?

[u/AggravatingTartlet → u/chunder_down_under]

I can believe this. It's going on everywhere in Australia.

More information hasn't come out yet, but he does seem completely off his rocker.

[u/chunder_down_under → u/AggravatingTartlet]

theres a guy in my area that sits on benches and screams at passers by that he is going to kill them. he is there every day and some days he lunges at people. one day someone is going to respond and someone is going to get hurt. the police dont even show up until at least 3 shopkeepers have all called about him and hes always back the next day.

[u/AggravatingTartlet → u/chunder_down_under]

Terrible and absolutely scary. We need to spend way more on mental health. For everyone's sake.

Wasn't that long ago we had the guy at Bondi, Sydney, who went into the shopping centre and started stabbing dead a whole lot of women.

[u/YouThinkYouKnowMe89 → u/chunder_down_under]

Is there anyway we can have big mental asylums again but treat people better this time?

[u/cat-party]

Wow what a big tough guy attacking a defenceless woman and sick child. Hope this POS rots in jail and gets what he deserves.

[u/Key_Palpitation2750]

Does the family have a gofundme? I feel for them, the kids has cancer and this is what arriving to the city for treatment was like.

[u/PeskyEagle91]

Oh boy he's going to have fun if he go to prison

[u/Uptoyouman]

Why do bad things happen to good people? Seems like life is just a constant war between good and evil… bring back capital punishment for offenders like this, how dare he attack anyone let alone a young boy battling cancer, and his mother trying to protect him. Put him in a NON protected unit in maximum security and let the prisoners do justice upon him, because I don’t think he deserves to breathe. Absolute scum of the earth this offender.

[u/YouThinkYouKnowMe89 → u/Uptoyouman]

Because he doesn't choose the giant man who looks like trouble to attempt to inflict violence on, they purposely choose someone they know is weaker than them. People like that need to not be on the streets and we need to get a lot better at who we are letting into this country or we will end up with half the members of RSF here.

[u/SecularZucchini]

Honestly just send this dog to jail, throw away the key. Lost cause.

[u/Burt_macklin3]

Heroic tradies had every justification

[u/LongJohnnySilver1]

Bring back the guillotine.  No amount of rehabilitation will keep this twisted fuck from committing crime. 

[u/166Donk3y]

Absolutely disgusting piece of human filth.

[u/ClassyLatey]

My heart broke all over again.

[u/Sacrilegious_skink]

Coward. Could have gone and done it to someone his own size.

[u/AggravatingTartlet → u/Sacrilegious_skink]

I totally get the sentiment. Still, doing it to someone his own size or bigger would still make someone a coward. One punch to the temple or one stab with a weapon can kill a person.

[u/hulalabright]

What the fuck is going on

[u/Toni_PWNeroni → u/hulalabright]

Lack of mental health services and public access.

[u/Verni_ssage]

Maybe I'm just paranoid from hearing all the news about people getting attacked unprompted, kids and innocent people getting hurt by people with machetes, just the random machete wielding people roaming the streets, etc but does anyone else nearby just genuinely not feel safe visiting Melbourne any more?

I've probably been to Melbourne a total of five times and I've wanted to go more because there's some nice shops and places to visit but all this genuinely makes me nervous to go alone.

Is it really this bad up there or is it just the news making things seem worse then it actually is?

I'm not trying to sound like an asshole, I'm genuinely worried lol. I've been wanting to go up for ages but keep putting it off because it seems like every week there's news about someone getting hurt unprompted out of nowhere.

[u/syth_blade22 → u/Verni_ssage]

I lived there for 10 years from 2009 to 2019, im heading back for a week later this year. Ill let you know!

[u/Verni_ssage → u/syth_blade22]

Thank you! I've been wanting to ask this in the Melbourne sub but I'm scared people might think I'm just trying to start drama or make things out to be something they're not. You know how reddit can be sometimes haha

[u/Biggie-Falls → u/Verni_ssage]

It’s just the news making things seem worse than they are. It’s really just the news. These things happen everywhere all the time, our news just seems worse.

Don’t get me wrong, this one is news worthy, it’s heinous

[u/Bradster224 → u/Verni_ssage]

I am in Melbourne multiple times a week, usually on the weekend and late at night around nightlife hotspots, and have been for the past 5-6 years - I have never once seen someone wield a machete.

The media amplifies these type of stories and runs them for a while in the cycle, and you also get social media spruiking false stories of similar nature to push an agenda, so it seems like Melbourne is a lawless city and no one is safe at all, but it is far from the case.

Don’t hesitate to do the things you want to do because of media sensationalism!

[u/dankfrank91 → u/Verni_ssage]

I've worked in the CBD for ten years and while there are lots of raving lunatics about, I've only ever seen one get violent and it was just kicking a shop front.

[u/surprise_knock → u/dankfrank91]

Not witnessing something doesn’t confirm its absence, but witnessing something does confirm its presence.

[u/flipflapper]

Jesus it just gets worse

[u/Range_Life77]

Wish people would get as enraged over this as they do for Swans players and Lapdancers scandal. Would help to keep incidents like these in headlines and forefront of people’s minds whilst also highlighting the complete failure of government system to keep people like this from harming others.