A Melbourne sushi chef is recovering after a shocking and unprovoked street attack that left her deeply shaken.
Wan Lai, 36, was walking to work on October 2 when a stranger suddenly ran up behind her and stabbed her in the chest. The horrifying incident, caught on CCTV, shows the attacker locking eyes with her victim before striking and fleeing.
Police quickly arrested 32-year-old Lauren Darul, who has since appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court. She remains in custody while investigations continue.
Ms Lai was treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and has since returned home. Yet she says life will never feel the same. In a heartfelt post online, she shared how fear now shadows her every step. “I loved this neighborhood,” she wrote, “but now even footsteps behind me make me panic.”
Her sister, Ivana, told 7News the attack could easily have been fatal. “If the knife had struck just inches differently, it might have hit her heart,” she said.
Local leaders have condemned the violence, calling it “absolutely sickening.” Despite reassurance from city officials that Melbourne remains safe, many residents say rising street crime has left them increasingly uneasy.
