An innocent woman allegedly stabbed in the chest while walking to work in Melbourne‘s CBD has revealed her horror at the senseless attack.
Sushi chef Wan-Ting Lai, 36, was allegedly stabbed near the intersection of Little Bourke Street and Spencer Street, in Melbourne’s CBD, around 7.40am on October 2.
CCTV footage of the unprovoked attack showed a woman run up behind her, pull out a knife, look her in the eye and stab Ms Lai once on the right side of her chest before running away.
Police have since arrested Lauren Darul, 32, who was on bail at the time, over the alleged attack. She intends to make another bail application next week.
‘I’m still recovering physically and emotionally, and I truly hope the justice system prioritises community safety,’ Ms Lai told Daily Mail upon hearing of the bail application.
Ms Lai had been walking to work at Southern Cross Station on Spencer Street where she works as a sushi chef for Maki Roll.
Now, two weeks on, she has revealed her ongoing struggle to come to terms with the horrific attack.
Ms Lai said she was still recovering both ‘physically and emotionally’.
‘I’m still relying on painkillers to manage the pain, and I’m still recovering both physically and mentally,’ she revealed.
The sickening attacked shocked Australia
‘After returning home, I’m reluctant to think about the incident, and I’m still having trouble leaving the house alone.’
She said she was now too scared to return to the spot where the alleged attack took place.
‘My familiar living environment no longer gives me the comfort I once had,’ she said in a post on Threads.
‘I loved this neighborhood and lived there for over four years, but now, because of this incident, I’m so scared that even walking around here makes me nervous.
‘My heart races, and I think even the sound of footsteps behind me is dangerous.
‘Accompanied by my sister and brother-in-law, I tried to walk back to the area, but anxiety kept creeping in.
‘I longed to return to Melbourne, where I could live peacefully and breathe happily, and I hoped to slowly return to those days.
‘Two voices in my head alternated: fear and the hope to bravely step forward.’
She described the moment she was allegedly attacked by the ‘homeless person’ and said she had never imagined a random stranger would allegedly stab her on the streets of Melbourne.
‘I was walking on Little Bourke Street, near the back of the Higher Ground building, when I was stabbed by a homeless person,’ she said.
Lauren Darul, 32, will go for bail again on Tuesday
Sushi chef Wan-Ting Lai was allegedly stabbed by a woman while walking to work
‘It was early in the morning, and the streets were deserted. The stab wound to my right chest caused a hemothorax (collapsed lung).
‘Fortunately, a woman across the street witnessed the entire incident and immediately ran over to help me apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding.’
That Good Samaritan called the police and an ambulance while a Korean couple and several other people on their way to work also rushed over to help.
‘Their kindness and timely actions bought me precious time for treatment. Upon arrival at the hospital, the doctors performed debridement and chest drainage surgery. I’m recovering well,’ Ms Lai said.
Ms Lai paid tribute to the courage and warmth of strangers who came to her aid, but had left her frighteningly aware of how close she came to dying.
‘I am deeply grateful to those who offered a helping hand, and I am deeply grateful for the support and concern of my colleagues and friends,’ she said.
‘By sharing this experience, I hope to remind everyone: Please be extra careful on your commute, always be aware of your surroundings, and take good care of your own safety and health.
‘Life is fragile, but by supporting each other, we can make this world a safer place. Stay safe, everyone.’
Wan-Ting Lai, 36, has been charged over the alleged attack
Wan-Ting Lai and a large bunch of flowers she received from work colleagues while in hospital
Ms Lai spent three days at the Royal Melbourne Hospital before she was even able to walk to the bathroom, and now faces a long and exhausting road to recovery.
‘But even this short walk leaves me breathless and exhausted,’ she shared at the time.
‘I’ve also had trouble eating these past few days, unable to chew properly. I can only manage liquids, which fill my throat after just two or three mouthfuls, and the resulting hiccups cause a throbbing pain in my right chest.
‘I’ve been confined to bed most of the time, recuperating, and it might take a while.
‘When I do speak, I can only speak in fragments, describing simple snippets. For the past two days, I’ve been completely confined to bed, completely tethered to various testing tubes, using only one hand to check everyone’s messages.’
Her injury has been compounded by the knowledge that her own father died from a lung infection following surgery.
‘This has made me even more cautious about the recovery process, and inevitably filled me with anxiety,’ she said.
Ms Lai said she faces an uncertain future as her job calls for her to be on her feet most of the day.
‘It’s really scary to have no income and no expenses, but still have to run around. I can’t help but worry about what to do next. But now, all I can do is slowly recover step by step,’ she said.
‘While I’m certainly under financial pressure, I’m also afraid to burden everyone. I’m torn between these two feelings, and I feel embarrassed to ask for help.’
Ms Lai’s followers, who consist largely of international friends and visitors, have expressed their horror at Melbourne’s lawlessness.
Police told her the alleged attacker was a resident in a nearby council-backed shelter that provides 50 housing units to ‘meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness’.
Ms Lai’s alleged attacker was living at Make A Room (pictured) in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD
‘The property management has also asked police not to allow her to return to the building after her release, and three additional police teams will be patrolling the area,’ Ms Lai said.
Ms Lai said she held little hope her attack would force any kind of changes at the housing facility where her alleged attacker was living and she planned to move out on Friday.
‘The City Council has also met with Make Room’s CEO. Unfortunately, they currently do not consider Make Room responsible for residents’ behavior outside the home,’ she said.
‘City council members are actively discussing possible assistance for me, including the financial losses suffered by me and my family, as well as the potential costs and support for rehabilitation and psychological treatment. I’ve also started preparing to move out of the area.’
On Melbourne radio on Friday, Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nick Reece admitted he was aware of the attack before it became public.
‘I was aware that that incident had occurred,’ Mr Reece told 3AW’s Ross and Russ.
