A 17-year-old boy has been hospitalised after a brawl between two groups of youths in Palmerston — just days after a 13-year-old was stabbed in the area.
What had begun as a house party on Saturday night had spilled onto Moulden's Bonson Terrace by 9pm, when a fight between two groups of youths.
Neighbour Sharlene Keegan witnessed the brawl, and recounted the moment the teen's head was struck.
"I heard the crack, as soon as I heard the crack and he fell I ran straight over, because the way he dropped, that was pretty scary," Ms Keegan said.
"And all the people that were around they were still carrying on and fighting, and the boy was just laying there."
Police said the teenager was unconscious by the time they arrived.
He was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
"Police can confirm no weapons were involved during the incident," a spokeswoman said.
She would not confirm how many people were involved in the brawl due to a continuing investigation.
Assault marked end of brutal week
On Wednesday, a 13-year-old boy was stabbed during a skirmish between two groups of youths in Goyder Square.
The boy had to be treated in Royal Darwin Hospital, where he remained in a stable condition as Saturday.
On Tuesday, three youths were arrested after allegedly being involved in several random assaults in Darwin's northern suburbs.
The incidents prompted the formation of a new strike force to target youth crime — the third of its kind in recent years.
According to NT Police offence statistics, assaults in Palmerston have dropped by more than 12 per cent over the past year, from 615 to 538.
Across the Territory, assaults fell from 7,575 between July 2017 and August 2018, to 6,388 in the same timeframe between 2018-2019.
Violence remains problem in area
Ms Keegan said youth violence was a serious problem in the area.
"We knew this was going to happen. It was waiting to happen," she said.
"Every week there has been fights and police have been there, and it still doesn't seem to help the problem."
Some of the youths who attended the Saturday night party in Moulden told the ABC the brawl was product of a long-standing rivalry.
"They're just coming in big groups for a fight. My brothers will fight, they won't back down for anybody," one said.
NT Police are yet to make any arrests.
They are urging anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them.
