A teenager now aged 20 has written an apology letter to the mother of 14-year-old Ethan Hoac, whom he helped murder in Melbourne in June 2023. The case involved a brutal, unprovoked attack on a stranger: the three offenders drove at Ethan in a car before jumping out and stabbing him repeatedly whilst he lay on the ground. The incident reflects the ongoing judicial process and the victim's family's response to one of the offenders' expressions of remorse.

Ethan was struck by a Volkswagen Tiguan whilst walking on Furlong Road on the evening of 26 June 2023 and was then subjected to a frenzied 20-second stabbing attack that left him with 30 stab wounds and four additional injuries; seven of these wounds proved fatal and caused severe internal damage including lung collapse. The killer, who cannot be named due to legal restrictions, pleaded guilty to murder in May, whilst one co-offender received a maximum sentence of 17 years and a third awaits sentencing. In his letter, the now 20-year-old expressed remorse and claimed to have matured in custody, though the judge rejected attempts to minimise his active role in the attack, noting he repeatedly kicked and stabbed the victim.