Wan Lai stabbed in Melbourne CBD, bail-laws debated after arrest

A woman identified by her family as Wan Lai was stabbed in the chest while walking to work in Melbourne’s central business district at about 7.40 a.m. on October 2, authorities said. CCTV footage of the incident shows a woman running up from behind near the intersection of Little Bourke and Spencer streets, tapping the victim and then stabbing her before fleeing. The victim was treated at the scene by passersby and police and taken to hospital with a punctured lung; police described her injuries as nonlife threatening.

The footage, which circulated after the attack, shows the alleged attacker carrying what appeared to be a knife and running through nearby streets after the assault. Bystanders can be seen immediately assisting the injured woman until emergency services arrived. Family members said the victim endured a hemopneumothorax, a condition in which blood and air collect around the lung and make breathing difficult, and spent several days in hospital recovering. They said she has since moved residence and is fearful of leaving home.

Police conducted an extensive search of the area, arrested a 32-year-old Melbourne woman the same day and seized a knife, a police spokesman...