UPDATED: 13-Year-Old Girl Charged After Allegedly Stabbing 14-Year-Old Girl in Edgeworth

5 August 2025

Updated 9:48pm 5/8/2025

newy.com.au – A 13-year-old girl has been charged with murder following the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old girl at a home in Edgeworth, Lake Macquarie on the night of 4 August 2025.

Emergency services were called to Euston Close about 10.20pm after a report of a stabbing. Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District found the 14-year-old with a wound to her torso. She was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics and taken to John Hunter Hospital, where she later died. The girl has not yet been formally identified, but police confirmed she was a Chinese national visiting Australia as part of a student exchange program.

The 13-year-old, also from China and part of the same program, was arrested at the scene and taken to Toronto Police Station. She has since been charged with murder and was refused bail. She is due to appear in a Children’s Court on Wednesday, 6 August 2025.

Police said both girls had arrived in Australia eight days earlier and were staying with a local host family. Superintendent Tracy Chapman, Commander of Lake Macquarie Police District, confirmed the girls were not believed to have known each other before their arrival. “They attended a local school and were visiting locations around the Hunter area,” she said.

According to Superintendent Chapman, the host family had retired to bed when a commotion was heard. The female host entered one of the bedrooms and discovered the 14-year-old girl with a stab wound. Police later recovered a kitchen knife from the home, which they believe was used in the incident.

Strike Force Aggnes has been established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death, with involvement from Lake Macquarie detectives and the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad. Superintendent Chapman said the investigation was complex due to the involvement of minors, language barriers, and international notifications. “NSW Police continue to work with the program facilitators and the consulate to ensure all appropriate processes and notifications are being undertaken,” she said.

Support services have been offered to first responders and the host family, who provided information to police. Investigations are ongoing, including inquiries with the school the girls attended, and interviews with students, teachers and others connected to the exchange program.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information will be treated confidentially.