Home / Crime and Justice / Wife 'Kept Terrorist Father and Son in Check'
Wife 'Kept Terrorist Father and Son in Check'
2 Feb
Summary
- Estranged wife may have prevented father and son's radicalization.
- Police investigate family's November trip to the Philippines.
- Attacker's wife sought financial assistance days after the massacre.
Venera Akram, estranged wife of the Bondi Beach attacker, is believed by police to have been a moderating influence on her husband and son, Naveed, while they lived together. The pair allegedly became radicalized in the six months after moving out of the family home in Bonnyrigg, Sydney.
Sajid Akram, 50, was killed by police during the December 14 attack, which left 15 people dead. His 24-year-old son, Naveed, remains in custody at Goulburn Supermax, facing 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder, and has not yet entered pleas.
Authorities are investigating the Akrams' four-week trip to the Philippines in November, scrutinizing their movements in Davao City. Overseas trips taken by both Sajid and Naveed, separately and together in prior years, are also a key focus in understanding their alleged radicalization journey.
In the aftermath of the massacre, Ms. Akram reportedly contacted a police assistance line seeking financial aid, which was not provided. She later received her husband's body and arranged his burial in western Sydney. The family home, valued at over a million dollars, was transferred to Ms. Akram's name almost two years before the attack, a move that could protect it from victim compensation claims against the estate.
