POLICE say they expect to make several arrests in connection with the brutal stabbing of a teenager outside a party in Melbourne’s southeast, as his mother pleaded for an end to knife violence.

Ben Phillips, 14, suffered punctured lungs after being slashed four times with a blade as he walked a girl home from a party in Cranbourne on Saturday night.

The group, whom witnesses say were mostly Sudanese or of African descent, had tried to gatecrash a nearby party 10 minutes before the frenzied attack.

While early suggestions were that as many as 20 teens were involved in the attack, police believed there were “five or six” directly involved, and stressed the attack was not racially motivated.

Narre Warren detectives confirmed they now expect to make arrests in the coming days and warned people not to “take matters into their own hands”.

Detective Sergeant Darron Hedge said police had used camera footage from the area and information from the public to close in on the offenders.

“We’ve got the information we need and we will be making arrests shortly,” detective Sergeant Hedge said.

“We just want people to allow us to do our job and not take matters into their own hands.

“We want to thank the public so far in helping us identify the people.”

media_camera The intersection in Cranbourne near where the attack happened.

Ben remains in a serious but stable condition at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Ben’s mother Leanne Phillips told 3AW radio this morning that curfews needed to be put in place.

“I agree (on a curfew),” she said.

“He was just doing a favour, walking a friend home, and they just got him.”

media_camera Ben Phillips is still in hospital after being attacked.

Ms Phillips said knives were too easily accessible, making streets unsafe.

“You can buy them at markets — we’ve seen them,” she said.

“Something needs to be done to stop them. Next time it might be someone else’s kid and they might not survive.”

Witnesses said the gang was lying in wait for anyone that left the Cranbourne party before attacking Ben as he walked a girl home.

media_camera The party house in Cranbourne.

After a brief discussion, the gang set on him, landing a flurry of punches and then kicked him as he lay on the ground.

The teenager was stabbed four times in the back during the brutal assault, with the blade puncturing both lungs.

As he stumbled a few steps along Clarendon St, he screamed, “I’m bleeding, I’m bleeding, I don’t want to die.”

Yesterday morning the Herald Sun uncovered steak knives at the Clarendon Park Primary School only metres from the scene of the attack.

media_camera One of two knives found in the grounds of Cranbourne Park primary school near where Ben Phillips was stabbed.

Local detectives were examining the knives to see if they were related to the attack.

Ben was carried back to the party about 250m away, leaving a trail of blood.

Friends applied pressure on his wounds to stem the bleeding and kept him conscious until paramedics arrived.

Ben was flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital where doctors performed an emergency procedure to drain fluid and blood from his lungs.

media_camera Ben’s friends left Zack Schott, 18, Anthony Winning, 18 and Jessica Woeltjes, 18 who helped him and called for an ambulance.

His parents kept a bedside vigil as he lay in intensive care on Saturday night.

His health improved on Sunday afternoon and he was moved to a ward in a serious, but stable condition.

Ben’s father, Barry, said the gang was planning to ambush anyone that left the party.

“They just started punching him and punching him then he fell down,’’ Mr Phillips said.

media_camera Teen beaten in frenzied gang attack

“He got up and again, punch, punch, punch, he fell down and rolled up into a ball and then they started kicking him. He got up and bolted.

“He took a few steps then started screaming to his friends.”

Jacinta Weston, 16, said she had only met Ben that night when he offered to walk her home.

She said she turned to look for another friend when Ben was attacked by a large group of young men.

“He came running up to me with blood all over him,” she said.

“I was freaking out.”

Jessica Woeltjes, 18, who lives at the house where the party was held, said it had “a great environment” before the men came knocking.

Police had not made any arrests yesterday and are appealing for witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

samantha.landy@news.com.au

with James Dowling, Michael Randall, Brendan Lucas