Home / Crime and Justice / Bondi Westfield: Inquest to Reveal Security, Police Failures
Bondi Westfield: Inquest to Reveal Security, Police Failures
5 Feb
Summary
- Six victims died in a 2024 stabbing attack at Bondi Junction Westfield.
- An inquest will examine police, security, and ambulance response failures.
- The attacker had stopped taking antipsychotic medication prior to the event.
An inquest commencing on Thursday will deliver crucial findings and recommendations following the fatal 2024 stabbing incident at Sydney's Bondi Junction Westfield. Six shoppers and one security guard were killed by Joel Cauchi, a 40-year-old man experiencing psychotic symptoms. The five-week inquest has heard that a delay in triggering an alarm, potentially by as little as 77 seconds, may have cost lives.
Investigators are examining shortfalls in the responses by security guards, police, and ambulance services. The coroner is also looking into whether more could have been done to support Cauchi, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia around age 18 and had stopped taking antipsychotic medication for four years prior to the attack. He was homeless at the time of the incident. Families of the victims have also requested an examination of media coverage surrounding the event. Mental health advocates hope the inquest's recommendations will lead to genuine reform.
