Uni stabbing victim identified as psychology graduate

The student stabbed in the neck outside the University of Sydney has been identified as a “brilliant” neuroscience specialist who is recovering from the terrifying ordeal at home.

Melvern Kurniawan, 22, was stabbed in the neck with a kitchen knife, allegedly by a 14-year-old boy, while walking to the university’s Brain and Mind Centre at 8.46am on Tuesday, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Mr Kurniawan, who graduated with a Bachelor of Psychology last year and had been doing research at the centre for the past five months, was helped by witnesses who quickly ran to his aid.

One colleague reportedly used a piece of clothing to stem the bleeding until paramedics arrived.

The 22-year-old was taken Royal Prince Alfred Hospital before being sent home to recover.

“He is doing fine, really fine,” his mother told The Daily Telegraph.

A friend described Mr Kurniawan as the “smartest guy we know”.

“He’s got like a brilliant mind. It’s awful this happened,” they added.

According to Mr Kurniawan’s LinkedIn profile, he studied a Bachelor of Psychology with honours and major in neuroscience at the University of Sydney.

He is currently completing a thesis while working at the Brain and Mind Centre as a student research assistant.

“I hope to use my experience and knowledge of the relationship between the brain, behaviour, and psychology to assist people across diverse settings,” Mr Kurniawan wrote on his profile.

Emergency services rushed to The University of Sydney at Camperdown on Tuesday morning following reports a male student had been stabbed in the neck with a kitchen knife at the entrance of the university.

A 14-year-old, who was dressed in a camouflage defence force uniform, allegedly fled the scene by bus covered in blood.

A concerned member of the public helped him get to the Royal Prince Alfred hospital, where he was treated for cuts to the hand.

He was arrested near the hospital and is undergoing a mental health assessment.

CCTV footage shows the teen walking onto the University grounds just before 8.30am, before walking out a short time after.

Police have no evidence that the alleged attacker was acting with a network and said the suspect was not connected to the army or cadets.

Counter-terrorism police have taken over the investigation but have not declared the incident a terrorist attack because they have not identified a specific ideology as required by legislation.

No charged have been laid.

Chilling past

The teenager, who lives in Sydney’s inner west, was known to police and “other government agencies”, police have said.

He had allegedly planned to carry out a “Christchurch-style” terrorist attack, sources close to the case who are not authorised to speak publicly have alleged.

He is also alleged to have an interest in Andrew Tate, an online gender commentator recently arrested over allegations of rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang.

The teen allegedly had made violent threats to his classmates at an inner-west Sydney school and spoke about terrorist Brenton Tarrant, the man who killed 51 people in the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre in New Zealand.

The teenager was charged in 2023 with using carriage service to menace, harass or offend, as well as stalking or intimidating with intent to cause fear of physical harm.

However, those charges were dropped on mental health grounds and he was put into the care of medical professionals.

Speaking of the incident, Assistant Commissioner Walton said counter-terror investigators were dealing with a growing cohort of children and teenagers aged 12 to 16 in their caseloads.

“The internet is toxic,” he said.

“It’s very easy for young people to self radicalise. Parents should have an appreciation of what their kids are looking at online.”

Police have no evidence that the alleged attacker was acting with a network and said the suspect was not connected to the army or cadets.

Police confirmed the attack is not linked to last week’s failed alleged terror plot in Newcastle.

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