A beloved teenager who lost his life in a stabbing incident is helping to drive down knife crime in Queensland, after his tragic death.
Because Balin Stewart didn't have to die.
The 16-year-old Sunshine Coast larrikin with a big smile and the ability to light up a room unintentionally became the new face of the state's battle against youth knife crime.
He died in his family's arms as they, together with paramedics, tried desperately to save him from a stab wound to the chest.
It stemmed from an alleged disagreement with a 17-year-old male, who has since been charged with murder, outside Balin's Buddina home just before midnight on January 20.
Police say the alleged attacker was known to Balin and rang the police and ambulance after the alleged incident.
Balin's loved ones are determined the year 11 Sunshine Coast Grammar student's death will not be in vain.
"No other parent should have to go through what we did," Michael Stewart told the large crowd gathered for his son's funeral on Thursday.
Sunshine Coast Stadium in Bokarina was a sea of white shirts, many emblazoned with the orange slogan "Bin the Blade for Balin" and a photo of the teen on their backs.
As Balin's coffin was carried into the arena, the real tragedy of youth knife crime set in for those watching the scene.
Another beloved young person had lost their life to something preventable.
Most bore witness silently, hearts in their throats, as mourners formed a line around the sports ground as the hearse did a final lap of honour.
Building a legacy from tragedy
The Stewart family started the #binthebladeforbalin campaign in a bid to rid today's youth of its knife culture, and it has taken off on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
The premise of the movement is that if a knife is not present during an altercation, it cannot cause any harm.
Balin's death has added to a momentum already trying to curb such tragedies, according to Senior Sergeant Ken Murray — the man leading the charge with the I Live My Life … Without a Knife (ILMLWAK) campaign.
During his 26-year police career, Senior Sergeant Murray has seen the devastating effects knife crime can have on his own community of Logan, one of the state's biggest hotspots for knife crime.
Figures that showed knife-related offences in public places in Queensland had risen from just under 8,000 in 2017 to more than 11,400 in 2020 sparked a crime prevention program.
It's a similar story on the Sunshine Coast:
- 2017 – 398 knife-related offences
- 2018 – 636
- 2019 – 537
- 2020 – 575
Since the ILMLWAK program began in the region, offending dropped 18 per cent to 471 offences last year — better than the statewide reduction of 15 per cent.
The Sunshine Coast Police District also promoted the ILMLWAK campaign in November with a launch at Nambour State College.
"The most prevalent knife crime can be found in the 18- to 24-year-old age group," Senior Sergeant Murray said.
"That doesn't mean it can't be found in the younger or older [age groups], but they are more likely to be found committing knife crime and they are far more likely to be the victim of knife crime.
Senior Sergeant Murray said 80 per cent of knife crime was perpetrated by males.
"We wanted to teach them the rules … that carrying a knife in public is unlawful and can carry fines and imprisonment and other consequences … just get our kids, through education, to make better choices."
He said part of the program was to target schools by finding community role models, who had grown up from tough environments, to make better choices.
"It's better to find people who will influence them … whose messages will resonate and change their values and empower them to make stronger choices."
Sixty per cent of young people who carry knifes say it's for protection, 30 per cent say it's for notoriety, and 10 per cent to commit offences while armed.
"[The majority] think they don't feel safe and that a knife will protect them," Senior Sergeant Murray said.
"That's not right. It won't. It will harm them, harm others, it'll harm their future."
He said he looked forward to working with the Stewart family in any way he could.
