Full Breakdown
Charges Dropped Against 12-Year-Old Boy After Fatal Assault on Sunshine Grocer
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On August 2, 2026, Van Viet Truong, 60, the owner of Hong Hung Asian Grocery in Sunshine, was attacked by a group of youths after intervening to help a fellow retail worker. He died in hospital on August 5. Police allege that a male offender dragged Truong to the ground, causing a head injury, and that the group continued striking him while he lay on the ground. Five children were initially arrested; charges now remain against three of the youths.
Legal Basis and Prosecutorial Decision
Prosecutors withdrew the violent-disorder, affray and two assault-related charges against the 12-year-old boy, stating they could not overcome the *doli incapax* presumption that children under 14 lack criminal intent unless it can be shown they understood their actions were seriously wrong. A prosecutor told the Children’s Court that the Crown would be unable to rebut this presumption, leading to the withdrawal. The boy’s lawyer described his client’s involvement as “secondary” and noted that the education department barred the Year 6 student from returning to school while the case proceeded.
Ongoing Proceedings for Other Youths
The case against the remaining co-accused continues. A 15-year-old faces manslaughter charges after Truong’s death, and two 14-year-old girls were granted bail on August 7 while awaiting trial on less serious assault-related offences.
Community Reaction
Truong was remembered as a “champion of local business” and a mainstay of Sunshine’s multicultural centre. Residents placed flowers outside his store, and Victoria Police confirmed the victim’s family had been notified of the charge withdrawal.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Advice from the [Director of Public Prosecutions] confirmed that there are no reasonable prospects of conviction in relation to this accused due to the presumption at law that a child who is 12 or 13 is not criminally responsible for their actions,” — Victoria Police — Victoria Police
*All statements reflect the information provided in the source articles and do not include any unverified claims.*