Victoria’s new premier has called for adult punishments for a group of youths allegedly responsible for an attack that has left a worker fighting for his life.

Three boys aged 12, 13 and 15 and two 14-year-old girls were on Sunday charged with a series of assault-related offences after a man was seriously injured in Melbourne’s west.

Police allege the group tried to steal items from a store in Sunshine on Saturday afternoon before a street scuffle ensued with an employee.

The alleged victim, who was working nearby, came to the shopkeeper’s aid.

CCTV showed the 60-year-old chasing the group down the road, moments before he was allegedly attacked by the group and pushed to the ground, where his head struck the pavement.

The 60-year-old was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

Four teenagers were arrested nearby, with the 12-year-old later arrested at his home.

All five youths were charged with affray, violent disorder, intentionally causing injury and intentionally causing serious injury.

CCTV showed the retail worker before before he was allegedly attacked on Saturday afternoon

The 60-year-old man was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after trying to stop an alleged robbery

Police (pictured at the scene) have since charged five teens over the alleged incident

They appeared in a children’s court later on Sunday night, where the magistrate adjourned the matter until Friday, to give police time to add or change charges against the teens.

The alleged attack occurred three days after new Premier Ben Carroll unveiled new retail worker protection laws.

The laws will grant courts the power to restrict access to workplaces for people who assault, intimidate or stalk workers.

A former retail worker himself, Carroll called for the teenagers to face adult time for their alleged crimes.

‘This was terrible what occurred to this gentleman in a retail shop,’ he told reporters.

‘There’s no tolerance for this sort of behaviour, it’s awful.

‘(It has) lifetime consequences for (the victim), but also for the offenders. 

‘There’s going to be lifetime consequences for you, because your life is going to change when you face jail time.’

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has called for the youths to face adult time for the alleged crimes

Violent events in Victorian retail stores were up 10.5 per cent so far in 2026, according to data from retail crime intelligence platform Auror.

Those figures follow a 29 per cent spike in retail violence in 2025.

More than 7700 cases of crimes against individuals, including assault and harassment, were recorded in Victorian retail settings in 2025, according to the Crime Statistics Agency.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson accused Carroll of voting against a Liberal workplace protection bill that would have taken immediate effect, and instead favouring an equivalent Labor bill.

‘Labor’s scheme won’t come into effect until the middle of next year,’ she said.

‘Ben Carroll and Labor are not serious about cleaning up the crime crisis in this state.’