Accused Serial Stabber’s Refusal to Speak Raises Concerns as Mental Health Evaluation is Urgently Sought

Melbourne, Australia – An accused serial stabber who targeted five victims in a random spree has remained silent since his arrest, refusing to communicate with anyone. Christopher Raftopoulos, 31, allegedly embarked on an unprovoked stabbing rampage lasting three hours across Melbourne’s inner suburbs over the weekend. Police suspect he used multiple knives during his attacks, which occurred in four separate incidents spanning the Central Business District (CBD) and St Kilda.

Raftopoulos was scheduled to appear before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday morning, but he did not show up in person or via video link. He faces over a dozen assault charges after being apprehended on Sunday. However, his lawyer, Michael Amad, disclosed that Raftopoulos had declined to provide any instructions, rendering communication with him impossible.

Mr. Amad informed the court, “Regrettably, Mr. Raftopoulos is not prepared to speak to anyone. I attempted to speak to him about an hour ago, and his position is he does not wish to speak to anyone.” Alongside this statement, he presented a mental health report on his client. Although Raftopoulos is not seeking treatment at present, he had previously been ordered to undergo community treatment.

Due to Raftopoulos’s refusal to engage in conversation, mental health professionals have not been able to assess his condition since his arrest. In light of this, Mr. Amad requested an adjournment, suggesting that some time might allow his client to be in a better position to provide instructions.

Magistrate Rose Falla instructed Mr. Amad to arrange for mental health specialists from Forensicare to communicate with Raftopoulos before deciding whether to adjourn the case. She emphasized the importance of their observations, as Raftopoulos “may or may not be suffering from a psychiatric episode or be psychiatrically unwell.”

Authorities informed the public that none of the victims had any connection to the alleged attacker. Detectives are examining the possibility that the stabbing spree started with the assault of a 28-year-old man on City Road in Southbank at around 9:20 pm on Saturday. Approximately forty minutes later, a 24-year-old man was stabbed outside a burger store on King Street and was subsequently hospitalized with a leg injury.

In another incident, a 31-year-old couple, while walking along Dandenong Road in St Kilda East around 11 pm, was attacked and stabbed. The woman’s condition is serious but stable, while her partner, a Glen Waverley man, sustained a serious arm laceration. Finally, a 31-year-old English man was assaulted on Acland Street in St Kilda at approximately 12:30 am on Sunday. He was taken to the hospital with leg injuries.

Law enforcement officials continue to investigate the motive behind these violent attacks as the accused assailant remains uncommunicative.