Murder trial set for 14-year-old exchange student
A 14-year-old Chinese exchange student will stand trial in June 2027 for murder.
A teenager, now 14, appeared in NSW Supreme Court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to murdering a fellow 14-year-old Chinese exchange student. The stabbing happened on August 4, 2025, at a home in Edgeworth where both girls were staying as part of an exchange program.
Justice Peter Hamill set the trial for June 2027. The case is believed to be unprecedented in Australia: a child who is also a foreign national has never been prosecuted for murder here.
The accused has a history of mental health issues and was on an "extraordinary number of medications", according to court remarks from last year. Her age may allow a legal defence called doli incapax, which assumes children aged 10 to 14 cannot form criminal intent.
Lawyers for the teenager pushed for the earliest trial date.
Why it mattersThe case tests uncharted legal ground in Australia and raises questions about how the justice system handles cases involving foreign children and serious mental illness.
AustraliaAustralian courts will navigate a novel legal situation, setting precedent for how the country prosecutes child foreign nationals for the most serious crimes.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 4 h ago
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