Four teens detained after violent shop robbery leaves employee critically injured in Melbourne

In the early afternoon on Saturday, four teenagers - two males aged 13 and 15 and two females aged 14 and 15 - broke into a shop on Hampshire Road in the western Melbourne suburb of Sunshine and stole items. Staff members who attempted to stop the theft were met with force, and a 60-year-old male employee was badly hurt, requiring transport to hospital in critical condition. Police apprehended the four youths shortly after the assault and plan to question them further.

The episode occurs just days after Victorian Premier Ben Carroll announced new measures aimed at safeguarding retail personnel, including tougher penalties for assaults and the introduction of workplace protection orders. Authorities highlighted the case as an example of the need for stronger safety provisions in the retail sector.