Critical Melbourne teen's close ties with fatal stabbing victim revealed

Some Melbourne teenagers have witnessed the deadly aftermath of Victoria's youth crime crisis from both sides of the law.One tight-knit friendship group in the city's northern suburbs is made up of both victims and alleged offenders, as well as those in-between left dealing with the fallout when something goes wrong.Among them is a 13-year-old boy fighting for his life in hospital after an alleged botched arson last Monday.For three months leading up to that incident, the same boy was reeling from the alleged murder of his friend Darweish Mohamed, 15, who was allegedly stabbed to death outside a hospital in Craigieburn.Five people have been charged over Darweish's death, including three teenagers charged with murder.Darweish Mohamed died in July after allegedly being stabbed outside a Craigieburn hospital. (Supplied: GoFundMe)The boy wounded in the fire kept a framed photo of Darweish on his desk at home.Friends of both teens told the ABC they have already lost one friend from violence that got out of hand, and they are praying they do not lose a second."They were really close. Darweish and [the boy] were great friends," a friend of the pair said.The 13-year-old and his associates allegedly drove a stolen car to a house in Taylors Hill in the early hours of October 5, before dousing two cars and, inadvertently, themselves, in petrol before setting the vehicles alight.Police allege they tried to flee in the stolen car but crashed it as flames took hold of their clothing.Two of the youths then allegedly ran away, leaving the 13-year-old screaming in the street before he collapsed from suffering burns to 90 per cent of his body.He has remained in a critical condition at the Royal Children's Hospital, undergoing major skin graft surgery.Allegations of WhatsApp cash promisesThe group allegedly received their orders to carry out the Taylors Hill arson on WhatsApp, with a children's court hearing they were promised $3,000 for the attack.From his bedside in hospital, the boy's family pleaded with young people to avoid the lure of quick cash and notoriety among their peers often dangled in front of them by more experienced criminals.Echoing that plea, the boy's friends, who are not named because they, the boy and his co-accused are underage, say he did not know any better."He was never a bad kid," the friend said."[His alleged] actions are shameful yes, but it was in the wrong crowd he was involved in."He's just a boy who wants to be respected by his friends."Two 16-year-old boys, including one out on bail at the time, are behind bars as they face charges over last Monday's alleged arson, while a 15-year-old boy was arrested but released without charge.The ABC last week revealed details about how the accused teens contacted the 13-year-old's sister on Snapchat, admitting to his involvement in the alleged arson, apologising and offering his family cash.Les Twentyman Foundation chief executive Paul Burke said teenagers were particularly vulnerable to influence from older people and should not have to deal with their friends being injured or killed by violence."These are kids who should be worrying about school, sport and spending time with their mates, not whether someone in their friendship group will be the next victim," he said.A Korean barbecue restaurant on Springvale Road was set alight in the early hours of Sunday October 11. A 15-year-old boy was taken to hospital under police guard with burns. (ABC News)"At 12 or 13, they're still finding their place in the world, and the wrong influences can have tragic consequences. "We need to reach these kids before they're drawn into dangerous situations."Less than a week after the Taylors Hill incident, another teenager was treated for burns after torching a Korean barbecue restaurant in Springvale.More than 15 separate fires have been lit across Melbourne in the past week, leaving dozens of victims, neighbours and business owners terrified.Many of those offenders, often believed to be underage, remain on the run."No child should grow up believing this level of violence is normal," Mr Burke said.