Killer’s father says he did everything in his power to help ‘very sick boy’ – as it happened

And with that I will hand the blog over to Cait Kelly for the rest of the afternoon. Thanks for reading.

15 Apr 202400.54 EDT

Bondi Junction killer’s father says he did everything in his power to help ‘very sick boy’

Tamsin Rose

The father of Bondi Junction killer Joel Cauchi has told reporters outside his Toowoomba home that he loved his son and had done “everything in my power” to help him handle his mental illness.

In a video published by The Australian, Andrew Cauchi said his son had been taken off medication “because he was doing so well but then he just took off to Brisbane”.

Cauchi stabbed six people to death at a Sydney shopping centre on Saturday afternoon.

Andrew said:

He is my son and I am loving a monster. To you he is a monster. To me, he was a very sick boy.

The father appeared distressed as he explained that he would have done something else if he had seen “any signs”.

He said:

I took him to a restaurant a few months earlier in Toowoomba and he embarrassed me totally. I said, Lord, if this was not my son. There was no way I would take him to a restaurant to be this embarrassed.

15 Apr 202400.21 EDT

Tamsin Rose

Westfield Bondi Junction no longer a crime scene and has been handed back to owners, Minns says

The premier, Chris Minns, has outlined the expected next steps for reopening the Westfield at Bondi Junction.

Speaking this morning, he confirmed police had finished their operation and it was no longer a crime scene so it was up to the owners.

He said:

The property has been handed back to Westfield Bondi Junction but understandably, there is broken glass, there are security measures that they need to go through before it can be open to the public. They’d be best placed to give us an estimated time of opening but hopefully, it’s soon. Obviously, the shopkeepers did an amazing job over the weekend.

He said they would never return to “normal” but should be able to get back to trading eventually.

A public, permanent memorial is expected to be erected somewhere in the area eventually.

15 Apr 202400.02 EDT

Josh Butler

‘Devastating scenes’ at Bondi Junction were ‘a case of men’s violence’, Labor MP Josh Burns says

An early focus of conversation from the federal government (and perhaps a clue as to what action Canberra may take in coming times) is on the potential gender aspect of the Bondi Junction attacks - with most of the victims being women.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese earlier said, “the gender breakdown here is concerning. And NSW Police have said that they’re looking at that as part of the investigation here”.

Labor MP Josh Burns has just tweeted that the attack was “a case of men’s violence”.

The ideology of the attacker was crystal clear - a hatred of women.

The Melbourne MP went on to write:

Men’s violence can happen in homes, workplaces, while on a run and this time it happened in a popular shopping centre.

We must call it out for what it is. All of us have a role to play in ending violence towards women.

Albanese has, understandably, not outlined exactly what the federal government might do in response to the stabbings - but in an ABC Sydney radio interview today, he did not rule out action.

We’ll work with the NSW Government on this. I spoke with premier Minns yesterday and NSW is, of course, the lead on this investigation. But we will provide whatever support we can and we will make decisions about what further reviews should be conducted at an appropriate time.

What you need is a considered response to any security lessons that need to be learned from an incident such as this.

15 Apr 202423.46 EDT

Daisy Dumas

Governor general says Bondi Junction stabbings ‘struck a chord’ reminding him of Lindt Cafe siege

Governor general David Hurley said the events at Bondi Junction on Saturday “struck a chord” with him, recalling the Lindt Cafe siege that took place during his tenure as state Governor.

“This struck a chord in one sense and you see a similar response here,” he said, referring to the sea of floral tributes that has swelled across the walkway in Oxford Street mall.

He said he used to visit the centre often when he lived in Paddington and remembered Westfield as a happy place.

This is a place you came along to, brought the kids, happy memories, where you bought your Christmas presents and so forth. So when something like this, just so abrupt, [it] changes the pattern of what you feel and, of course, we all feel it.

I’m enormously optimistic for Australia given the quality of its people. And Amy and her response was just what we’d expect from our professional police force.

These are people ... who didn’t run away ... We should reflect on that and take some heart from their response to this moment.

He said he has been in touch with [Buckingham] palace and has spoken with the families of those who died on Saturday.

I just spoke to the families, to of course pass on our support to them and to remind them that all Australians are behind them and with them at this present time, and also to give our best wishes to the community of Bondi and the surrounding area of Bondi Junction as they try to get through this and say we are here to support you.

He and his wife Linda signed the condolences pages set up in memory of the six people who lost their lives on Saturday at Bondi Junction, just steps from the entrance to Westfield shopping centre.

The couple spoke with members of the police force and the mental health counsellors on hand to support the community after laying a bunch of flowers at the ever-growing memorial on the corner of Oxford Street mall and Grosvenor Street and pausing for a moment’s silent reflection.

View image in fullscreen

View image in fullscreen

15 Apr 202423.19 EDT

Catie McLeod

Sydney Uni’s vice-chancellor working with Chinese consulate and family of student who died in Bondi Junction stabbings

The Sydney University vice-chancellor, Prof Mark Scott, says the university is working with the Chinese consulate and the family of a student who died in the Bondi Junction stabbings.

Chinese national Yixuan Cheng was confirmed on Monday as one of six victims who died of their injuries after Joel Cauchi, 40, took a knife into the Westfield shopping centre and went on an unprovoked rampage.

In an email to staff and students on Monday, Scott said he was “shocked and saddened” by the “senseless violence and loss of life that occurred” on Saturday afternoon.

Scott said that police had confirmed that a University of Sydney student was one of the victims.

He said:

On behalf of the university, I extend my sincere condolences to the student’s family and friends.

We are working closely with the Chinese consulate and the student’s family to assist in any way we can.

Please take time today to check in on each other, this is a deeply distressing time for our community and I encourage you to look after each other and access the support available.

Scott encouraged staff and students who needed help to contact student wellbeing services, the university’s employee assistance program or Lifeline.

15 Apr 202422.57 EDT

Paul Karp

Government’s deportation bill could apply to ‘1,000s or 10,000s’ of people, Law Council’s migration law committee says

The chair of the Law Council’s migration law committee, Carina Ford, has told the Senate inquiry that the government’s deportation bill applies to a broad cohort of people.

Although the department has said it is primarily directed at those on bridging visa R, about 110, Ford noted the cohort on Bridging Visa E susceptible to its power to cooperate with steps towards deportation “could be in the 1,000s, or 10,000s”.

Ford recalled meeting two girls in year 11 at an International Women’s Day event, who had spent time in offshore detention on Nauru and Manus, who she said would “absolutely fall” within the bill’s provisions because they do not have a judicial review pending.

She said:

We could see people rounded up to be removed ... Even if the intention is only a small part [of those in scope would receive directions], but once passed can apply to a large number of people.

15 Apr 202422.41 EDT

Daisy Dumas

Disaster-trained counsellors at Bondi Junction to support community

Among the mourners paying their respects at Bondi Junction on Monday morning is a small army of disaster-trained counsellors from NSW Health. They are part of a swiftly-deployed support team set up for the community in the wake of Saturday’s mass stabbing at Westfield shopping centre.

The counsellors were joined by Salvation Army volunteers and, on Sunday, a rabbi from the local Jewish community.

The public is encouraged to leave tributes at the corner of Oxford Street Mall and Grosvenor Street, where a condolence messages table has been set up by the NSW premier’s department. Premier Chris Minns has flagged the establishment of a permanent memorial at the site.

Under the state’s Victims Support Scheme, those who witnessed the incident can access counselling, while victims closer to those who lost their lives are also eligible for financial assistance and a recognition payment.

Victims can call a dedicated phone line on 1800 019 123 from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

15 Apr 202422.22 EDT

Peter Hannam

China’s acting consul general expresses his sorrow about Bondi Junction stabbings

Wang Chunsheng, China’s acting consul general in Sydney, made some brief remarks about the death of Yixuan Cheng, the sixth victim of Saturday’s stabbings in Bondi.

Wang, who was earlier part of a small delegation at the Australia China Business Forum meeting in Sydney, said he was “very sorry to hear about” the incident.

He said the consulate would be in contact with Cheng’s relatives in China to make arrangements.

In similar cases in the past, Chinese relatives have been flown to Australia.