Man charged over alleged Australian National University stabbing

An ex-student accused of attacking four students at a university campus has been charged with a string of offences and faced court.

Alex Ophel, 24, was arrested by police after two young female students were allegedly stabbed with a knife at Australian National University in Canberra on Monday afternoon.

Police also alleged he hit a male student on the head with a frying pan at nearby  Fellows Oval and later attacked a second male student in the face.

Ophel has since been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault and one count of possessing an object to be used to kill.

‘No motive for the incident has been identified and police do not believe the victims knew the offender,’ ACT Policing said in a statement.

The two women allegedly stabbed, both aged 20, remain in hospital on Tuesday, One is in a serious but stable condition. 

Police opposed bail when Ophel briefly appeared in ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning.

Ophel’s lawyer was not confident he could accurately take instructions from his client due to his mental state.

The lawyer asked the court for more time so he can get instructions from Ophel and ‘see if he can understand me’.

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The matter was adjourned until later on Tuesday.

Police are yet to determine why Ophel was at the campus

‘We have been unable to establish a motive at this time, the man’s movements and how he came to be at ANU are currently subject of the police investigation,’  Acting Superintendent Stephanie Leonard told reporters on Tuesday. 

‘Obviously any violent offence is concerning. The ANU and Canberra are usually very safe places and and incidents like this are extremely rare.’ 

She was unable to comment on Ophel’s mental health status.

An ex-student accused of going on a stabbing spree has been charged 

Police inquiries into the incident continue as ANU praised the swift response from emergency services and its security unit.

“I understand this incident may have caused distress among members of our community and I want to remind you that support is available. In times like these, it is essential we support one another and stay connected as a community,’ ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said in a statement

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has footage of the incident and they have not already spoken to police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

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