Australia- Nine people stabbed including 9 month baby @ the Westfield Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction, suspect fatally shot, Sydney, 13 April 2024

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I hope Australian authorities do a better job than UK authorities with the similar stabbing murders in Nottingham, England by Valdo Calocane recently. Chiefly that they perform a full toxicology screen on the killer to clearly establish what drugs were in his system at the time of the attacks.

I have every sympathy with people who develop the curse of schizophrenia with no outside cause (I had a close family member with paranoid schizophrenia). But I have none with people who abuse drugs and destroy their own mental health with repeated use of dangerous and illegal drugs. It is important to establish which came first and if the diagnosis of schizophrenia is clinically accurate or are we just looking at the results of drug abuse.

All too often I see "mental health struggles" being used as a synonym for drug abuse.

Too early to tell in this case but it seems very clear that this man was not capable of functioning safely in society without very close supervision and being made to be compliant with anti-psychotic treatments and/or being kept off illegal drugs. I think we need much more accurate diagnosis and histories with these very violent offenders. Most schizophrenics and drug users do not perpetrate these horrendous killing sprees. To me, they always look most like the result of a person who just has hate and evil against other innocent people enjoying their lives when he is not. Definitely a hatred of women here in this case, and I expect we will see a history of "troubled relationships". RIP the victims and my respect goes to all the people who did their best to assist others and the policewoman who did everything right.
 
There's been a lot of speculation online about his religious beliefs and background, and about his ethnicity etc.

Any facts yet?

His surname appears to be Maltese in origin. His parents live in Toowoomba. That's all I can find.
 
Interesting about the knife sharpening (if accurate), Calocane went one better and carried a knife-sharpener with him in his rucksack. Again. this level of premeditation and criminal mindset is not consistent with psychotic violence, but with psychopathy. And the escort advertising, I wonder if that was a lure to entrap women victims to kill them?
 
RosalindaA said:
I hope Australian authorities do a better job than UK authorities with the similar stabbing murders in Nottingham, England by Valdo Calocane recently. Chiefly that they perform a full toxicology screen on the killer to clearly establish what drugs were in his system at the time of the attacks.

I have every sympathy with people who develop the curse of schizophrenia with no outside cause (I had a close family member with paranoid schizophrenia). But I have none with people who abuse drugs and destroy their own mental health with repeated use of dangerous and illegal drugs. It is important to establish which came first and if the diagnosis of schizophrenia is clinically accurate or are we just looking at the results of drug abuse.

All too often I see "mental health struggles" being used as a synonym for drug abuse.

Too early to tell in this case but it seems very clear that this man was not capable of functioning safely in society without very close supervision and being made to be compliant with anti-psychotic treatments and/or being kept off illegal drugs. I think we need much more accurate diagnosis and histories with these very violent offenders. Most schizophrenics and drug users do not perpetrate these horrendous killing sprees. To me, they always look most like the result of a person who just has hate and evil against other innocent people enjoying their lives when he is not. Definitely a hatred of women here in this case, and I expect we will see a history of "troubled relationships". RIP the victims and my respect goes to all the people who did their best to assist others and the policewoman who did everything right.
Click to expand...
Bravo
"All too often I see "mental health struggles" being used as a synonym for drug abuse." - Drives me nuts!!!

Keeping in mind I am certainly not an expert: as far as I know, people with organic, genetic and idiopathic schizophrenia generally don't seek out drugs, especially stimulant and hallucinogenic drugs.

However something like half of schizophrenics abuse drugs.

That seems paradoxical until you remember illegal drug use is strongly linked to inducing psychosis and schizophrenia.
 
I
SouthAussie said:
Killer was diagnosed with a mental illness at 17 years old.

www.smh.com.au

Bondi Junction stabbing as it happened: NSW Police identify Joel Cauchi as attacker; John Singleton’s daughter among multiple dead in Sydney’s eastern suburbs

Saturday’s mass stabbing attack at Westfield Bondi Junction has shocked Sydney – and the country. Follow our rolling coverage of the tragedy.
www.smh.com.au www.smh.com.au
Click to expand...
"1.19pm
Queensland Police last ‘interacted’ with Bondi attacker in December
BySarah McPhee
Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe says the Bondi Junction attacker, Joel Cauchi, has never been arrested or charged with a criminal offence in Queensland, but was stopped by officers in December last year.

“He has been in contact with the police primarily in the last four to five years,” he said, clarifying that was from 2020 onwards.

Lowe said Cauchi was street-checked on the Gold Coast in December 2023, describing the process as “intelligence gathering”.

NSW Police at Westfield Bondi Junction on Sunday.
NSW Police at Westfield Bondi Junction on Sunday.CREDIT:DION GEORGOPOULOS

He said the offender had never been found in possession of knives in a manner that was unlawful.

Asked whether police had any information about Cauchi targeting women in particular, Lowe replied: “No.”

He said Cauchi’s family are co-operating and reached out to authorities after believing they had seen their son in footage broadcast on television yesterday.

Lowe said the family would be issuing a statement expressing condolences for the victims and welfare concerns for the police officer who fatally shot their son.

He described Cauchi as “itinerant”, moving from Kangaroo Point and Carina in Brisbane to his family’s home “in the southern police region”, and said his family were aware he was interstate but did not have regular contact.

“It is periodic contact where he may respond to a text message,” he said.

“To my knowledge he is a single man.”

Lowe said Cauchi was diagnosed with a mental illness when he was 17.

The assistant commissioner said there would be an increased police presence in shopping centres “to ensure that Queenslanders are safe and Queenslanders feel safe”. However, he said they had no intelligence or concerns about any increased threat.

“As a precaution, we certainly have increased our footprint,” he said."
 
investikater said:
Lowe said Cauchi was diagnosed with a mental illness when he was 17.
Click to expand...
Doesn't specify.

On the one hand that is the right age for schizophrenia to emerge naturally.

On the other hand it's also the right age to begin experimenting with illegal drugs.

And as it doesn't specify, it could be anything. It could be he went through an acute period of depression or anxiety that improved for example.
 
www.dailymail.co.uk

Sydney university student wrongly identified as Bondi knifeman

A 20-year-old university student has slammed internet sleuths after he was wrongly identified as the knifeman behind a horror attack at Bondi Junction Westfield.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk

'I think they've just gone for the first face that kind of looks the same and matches their own motives or what they wanted the story to be,' Mark told the publication.
 
investikater said:
Bravo
"All too often I see "mental health struggles" being used as a synonym for drug abuse." - Drives me nuts!!!

Keeping in mind I am certainly not an expert: as far as I know, people with organic, genetic and idiopathic schizophrenia generally don't seek out drugs, especially stimulant and hallucinogenic drugs.

However something like half of schizophrenics abuse drugs.

That seems paradoxical until you remember illegal drug use is strongly linked to inducing psychosis and schizophrenia.
Click to expand...
I believe many turn to drugs to escape the voices in their head etc, to try to escape their reality, often these people are just so tormented.

No excuse but it's what it is IMO

Most lead very normal lives too, those who are well medicated & have appropriate resources & family support etc.

Some know when to reach out for help.

IMO
 
Baby Harriet doing well, according to this statement by her family in this article.

ABC sound engineer was also at the centre when the attack took place. It really was the afternoon for everyone in media to do their shopping.

www.abc.net.au

Bystanders praised for heroic acts during Bondi stabbing attacks

In the aftermath of the tragedy at Westfield Bondi Junction, stories have emerged of a man holding back the knife-wielding attacker with a bollard and shop attendants guiding customers to safety in the back rooms of stores.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
 
thenightly.com.au

Killer’s parents hope hero cop is ‘coping alright’

The family of a man who murdered six people during the sickening attack at Bondi Junction are trying to comprehend his ‘truly horrific’ actions and have sent a message of support to the cop who shot him dead.
thenightly.com.au thenightly.com.au

The family of a man who murdered six people and injured 12 others during a horrific attack at Westfield Bondi Junction contacted Queensland authorities after watching footage of the massacre on television.

Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe said the family of Joel Cauchi had sent a message to NSW Police expressing concern for the welfare of Inspector Amy Scott, who shot dead their 40-year-old son on Saturday.
 
I feel for the murderer's family here too, I have no doubt that they have had a tough time with their son over the years, mental illness/drug abuse or both is incredibly hard on relatives, eventually sometimes they have to cut ties to preserve their own safety and sanity.
Unfortunately this then results in the person wandering about, causing problems, moving on with no-one keeping eyes on them as they deteriorate. And of course. they hardly ever self-refer to services, especially if they are using drugs.
Teenagers often start off with cannabis (because it's so harmless!!) which can trigger schizophrenia. I feel thankful I grew up at a time when I was taught at school that all illegal drugs were harmful. As a first-degree relative of a schizophrenic I was later grateful that I hadn't played russian roulette with my own brain, It truly sickens me that "milder drugs" are promoted as a lifestyle option to people when the clinical evidence is absolutely clear.

Psychiatrists should routinely test patients for illicit drug use, especially youngsters at first onset.

I think the pathway in this case (and Calocane's) is a downward spiral with all these factors in play, drugs, mental illness, personality disorders, social disconnection leading to these outbursts of hate. To stab a baby before you then murder the mother comes from extreme desire to inflict maximum suffering, like the school shooters. Because they feel bad....

Looking at the police inspector (a young, blonde pretty woman like the other two victims named), I wonder if he would have raised his knife to a male officer? Thank God she was armed and able to shoot him, otherwise I have no doubt he would have killed her.
 
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