A 13-year-old Chinese exchange student has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing her 14-year-old compatriot to death at their homestay in Edgeworth, a suburb west of Newcastle, New South Wales.
Fatal Attack at Newcastle Homestay Shocks Local Community
Emergency services received reports of the stabbing incident on Monday (4 Aug 2025) at approximately 10:20 PM local time. Police found the 14-year-old victim with an injury to her torso.
Paramedics treated the injured girl at the scene before rushing her to John Hunter Hospital in critical condition. She died despite medical efforts.
The 13-year-old suspect was arrested immediately at the scene and remains in police custody. She was refused bail during her court appearance on Wednesday.
Exchange Program Students Staying with Same Host Family
Both girls had arrived in Australia from China late last month as part of a short-stay exchange programme. They were staying with the same host family and attending a local school.
The students were scheduled to return to China on 16 Aug 2025, just one week after the fatal incident occurred.
The two girls had separate bedrooms in the homestay accommodation. The host family, a couple in their 50s, heard a “commotion” outside the bedrooms and went to investigate.
“All parties had retired to their rooms for the evening when one of the hosts heard a commotion of some sort, and when she went to investigate, she located the 14-year-old,” said New South Wales Police Superintendent Tracy Chapman during a press conference on Tuesday.
Police Investigation Reveals Complex Circumstances
Police recovered a kitchen knife from the scene, which they believe was taken from a drawer at the homestay location. The weapon has been sent for forensic testing.
“It does appear to be a knife from a particular drawer at that location. We anticipate that was the weapon used to inflict injury,” Chapman said.
Authorities confirmed they are not aware of any prior relationship between the two girls beyond their participation in the same exchange programme.
The investigation faces several challenges due to language barriers and the girls’ status as non-Australian residents. “As you can imagine, an investigation with young girls involved, language barriers, they’re not Australian residents, there are obvious complications,” Chapman explained.
Local police are working with the Chinese consulate to notify the families of both students. They have not yet formally identified either the suspect or the victim.
During Wednesday’s court hearing, Magistrate Andrew Eckhold noted that mental health appeared to be a factor in the case. He observed that the suspect had an “extraordinary” number of medications in her possession.
“This is a matter where there is a clear mental health nexus, but it’s a very serious charge,” Eckhold said. “It’s an extraordinary number of medications this person is on for a 13-year-old.”
The magistrate indicated that the document detailing the allegations and the list of medications showed the young person was “severely unwell”.
The host family has been cooperating with authorities in what police describe as a complex investigation. The case is scheduled to return to court on 7 Oct 2025.
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