Coles will stop selling kitchen knives after a worker was stabbed at a supermarket in southeast Queensland - an alleged attack that prompted the state's premier to pledge a further crackdown on youth crime.
Claudia Campomayor Watt, 63, was allegedly stabbed in the back while working at a Coles restaurant in the Yamanto Central shopping center in Ipswich on Monday. The knife was taken from a supermarket shelf.
She remains in hospital in critical but stable condition.
A 13-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder.
A Coles spokesman said on Wednesday the company "has decided to withdraw its range of kitchen knives from supermarkets across Australia".
A statement said: "Coles complies with all legislation regarding the sale of kitchen knives and we have taken this withdrawal out of an abundance of caution while we conduct a review."
“The safety of our team members and customers is our top priority in every aspect of our business.”
The attack has raised continuing questions about Prime Minister David Crisafulli. He came to power last October promising to combat what he called a youth crime crisis.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, he promised "more" changes to the government's tough youth justice laws, which impose adult sentences for young people accused of certain serious crimes and mandatory sentences for young offenders convicted of murder. life imprisonment. , 20 years without parole.
Crisafulli's campaign was largely built on his promise to enact some of the toughest youth crime laws in the democratic world, including "adult crime, adult time" legislation.
The prime minister said the laws would "act as a deterrent".
Speaking to media in Cairns on Wednesday, Crisafulli was asked whether it was a "mistake" or "loophole" that attempted murder did not fall within the scope of his tough new laws.
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The Prime Minister said a panel of experts would examine this and many other allegations to recommend further crackdowns on "a generation of hardcore Dalits".
"I want Queenslanders to know: there are going to be more changes," he said. "The second part of the 'Make Queensland Safer' law will certainly not be the last. There will be further reforms in 2025, in fact there will be legislative changes in 2025 - and it can't come soon enough."
Some experts reject the government's claims that the laws will deter or reduce crime.
Queensland is one of the only jurisdictions in the democratic world to impose adult penalties on children. In extreme cases, children as young as 10 could face mandatory life sentences.
The number of children under 14 in Queensland adult police custody has increased by 50 per cent in 12 months.
Asked if he was concerned that cracking down on youth crime would not act as a deterrent and would only lead to higher incarceration rates, Chris Fourey responded that his focus was on reducing crime victims.