Speaking to the ABC as the schoolboy remains in a critical condition, the boy’s sister said falling in with the “wrong crowd” could cost him his life.<\/p>\n
“I want the community to know that street violence isn’t worth their life and never will be,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s not just a crime, but a life on the line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“He’s fighting for his life.”<\/p>\n
Despite the boy undergoing a 12-hour skin graft surgery at the Royal Children’s Hospital, police yesterday told a court it was “very possible” he could die from his injuries.<\/p>\n
![\"Several](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/8822eea09ecefa715f8b7d00afbaaa9f.jpeg\")
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The 13-year-old boy was left with burns to almost all of his body. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
The youths allegedly inadvertently covered themselves in petrol while dousing the vehicles before setting them alight.<\/p>\n
They allegedly then tried to flee in a stolen car but crashed it moments later, running away and “leaving the child engulfed in flames, fighting for his life”, according to prosecutors<\/p>\n
Two 16-year-old boys, including one out on bail at the time, are behind bars after police laid a raft of charges over the incident.<\/p>\n
Despite having no prior criminal history, one of the boys failed in his bid for freedom yesterday afternoon in a children’s court.<\/p>\n
A third 15-year-old boy was arrested and released without charge.<\/p>\n
A detective yesterday told the court that the 13-year-old was “screaming for help before collapsing” in the aftermath of the incident.<\/p>\n
“It breaks my heart,” his sister told the ABC.<\/p>\n
“I cannot imagine how scared he would’ve been burning alive.”<\/p>\n
Do you know more?<\/p>\n
Contact Antonia O’Flaherty at Oflaherty.Antonia@abc.net.au<\/a> or on antoniaoflaherty@protonmail.com<\/a>Co-accused apologised to family, offered cash payment<\/p>\n The ABC can reveal new details about how one of the accused teens contacted the 13-year-old boy’s family admitting to his involvement, offering them cash and apologising for the injuries the boy suffered.<\/p>\n After her brother was rushed to hospital with burns to 90 per cent of his body, his sister pleaded for information about the blaze, prompting one of the accused teens to contact her, the court heard.<\/p>\n In Snapchat messages obtained by the ABC, the boy admitted his involvement and apologised to the family.<\/p>\n “I am so deeply sorry for everything and please believe me when I say this, I’m not asking for your forgiveness and don’t expect you to like me at all but I am so sorry for what happened to [him] and it’s my fault this all happened,” one message read.<\/p>\n “I’ve sent $1’000 [sic] to a friend to give to you guys and [the boy] when he recovers hopefully that helps you guys out.<\/p>\n “And I did not mean to leave [him] behind I didn’t leave on purpose or any of that the news makes fake shit.”<\/p>\n The boy vowed to “change my life around and start going to church and get into boxing”.<\/p>\n Two cars were destroyed and a home was damaged during the arson attack. (ABC News)<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ba7816c259557cf59d16f29aef117fbf.jpeg\")
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