Five females, including four teenagers and an 18-year-old woman, have been arrested following a violent altercation at Melbourne’s Northland Shopping Centre, the latest in a series of security incidents at the popular retail precinct.
Victoria Police confirmed that officers were conducting patrols in the food court area of the shopping centre in Preston on Friday night when they observed a group of females involved in a brawl.
Police took into custody four girls aged 12, 14, 16 and 17, along with an 18-year-old woman from Coburg North. Authorities said the incident resulted in minor injuries to two of the younger girls.
The 14-year-old was transported to hospital with minor injuries, while the 12-year-old received treatment from ambulance paramedics at the scene before being released pending further inquiries.
According to Victoria Police, the 18-year-old woman, along with the 16-year-old and 17-year-old girls, were interviewed by investigators and are expected to be charged on summons.
Officers attached to Operation Pulse, a police initiative targeting youth crime and public safety issues, allegedly seized a knife that was produced during the confrontation. Detectives from the Banyule Crime Investigation Unit are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The latest disturbance adds to growing concerns about public safety at major shopping centres across Melbourne. Northland Shopping Centre has previously been the scene of several high-profile incidents, including a widely reported brawl in May 2025 involving machetes that sparked panic among shoppers and prompted a major police response.
At the time, investigators believed the confrontation involved rival groups and was linked to an act of retaliation, leaving one man seriously injured.
Police have urged anyone with information relating to Friday night’s incident to come forward as investigations continue.
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