Anti-knife campaigner stabbed in gang bashing

A social worker who has campaigned against knives has spoken of fighting for his life after being stabbed during a gang bashing at Altona.

Well-trained in boxing and martial arts, Daniel Mallia can look after himself.

But the social worker, who works with Les Twentyman's 20th fund, was no match for the group of up to five young men that bashed and stabbed him in Altona on Saturday night.

"I had a knife to my neck, I couldn't yell out or else they would have cut my throat."

The 29-year-old was robbed of cash and his mobile phone after being stabbed twice in the abdomen and repeatedly punched and kicked.

The knife was plunged about 8cm into Daniel's body, narrowly missing one of his vital organs.

Without any help on the Altona Beach foreshore Daniel was forced to drive himself to hospital.

Daniel described the attack as 'cowardly' and warned the community to be on their guard.

"I considered Altona to be a safe place" he said. "I've lived there my whole life, but now I'd say to the community just be very wary.

"If it had been someone else without the background I have in self-defence, it would have been a homicide."

Daniel says the attack has made him even more determined to campaign against knives and violence.

"Knives aren't toys, they are deadly weapons," he said. "It's made me more determined to work harder. There needs to be something done about people carrying knives in the community."

Daniel's boss, prominent youth outreach worker Les Twentyman, said he believes the attack is gang related.

"I think the time is now where we draw a line in the sand and say let's stop all this crapping on all the spin doctoring and let's do something about a real problem.

"This is not part of Australian psychological culture, it's a cancer that needs to be attacked."

But police remain wary of the gang label.

Detective Senior Constable Markus Koch said: "At this stage there is no suggestion this particular incident is linked to any other incidents that have occurred in the area."

Detectives will examine security vision from Seaholme and Altona railway stations to help determine if the group were locals or had travelled to the area.

Meanwhile, Mr Twentyman has called for more volunteer youth workers to join the campaign in fighting knife violence.