Bondi attacker stabbed 16 people in three minutes, investigation finds

It took just three minutes for Joel Cauchi to fatally stab six people and injure 10 more during the attack at a popular Sydney shopping centre, an investigation into the attack has found.

The New South Wales Coroner’s Court heard on Tuesday that Cauchi, 40, had an obsession with knives and was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but was off his medication and homeless at the time of the incident.

The inquest also heard that no alarms were sounded at the center until Cauchi was shot dead by police.

The incident on April 13 devastated Australia, where mass murders are rare, and sparked a national debate about gender-based violence.

Of the 16 people stabbed that day, 14 were women; among them were five of the six killed and a nine-month-old baby. The NSW police commissioner said at the time it was “clear” Cauchi was targeting women.

Tuesday’s hearing laid out the focus areas of a comprehensive investigation that is scheduled to begin in full in April 2025. The investigation will examine potential vulnerabilities and failures in mental health systems in NSW and Cauchi’s home state of Queensland.

Speaking in court, the lawyer assisting the forensic physician, Dr. Peggy Dwyer SC said Cauchi had not taken his psychotropic medication since 2019, despite authorities being repeatedly warned that his condition was deteriorating. He said Cauchi had come to the “attention” of Queensland police several times.

In his statement, Dwyer also gave the first detailed timeline of how the violence actually unfolded in Bondi that day.

He said Cauchi, who was sleep deprived on the morning of the attack in the Maroubra suburb, entered the Westfield shopping center at around 15.30 local time and started stabbing people after taking out his knife in a bakery queue about three minutes later. .

His first victim was 25-year-old Dawn Singleton, followed by 47-year-old Jade Young and 25-year-old Yixuan Cheng. He then attacked 38-year-old Ashlee Good from behind.

The court heard Good, described by his family as “an extraordinary person in every respect”, later saw Cauchi stab the nine-month-old girl in her stroller and was further injured as she tried to save the child’s life.

Later, 30-year-old security guard Faraz Tahir was stabbed along with a colleague. At the time, viewers said he died “trying to save others.”

After fatally stabbing 55-year-old Pikria Darchia, Cauchi was shot dead by NSW Police Superintendent Amy Scott, who was on duty nearby. The court heard that just over a minute passed between the time Inspector Scott arrived and the time he killed Cauchi.

The attack lasted 5 minutes and 43 seconds in total, but no alarm was heard during this time.

“It is unclear at this time why it took so long for the alarm to go off,” Dwyer said.

Before opening the hearing, state coroner Teresa O’Sullivan acknowledged the pain and loss felt by the wider community as a result of the violence.

“I offer my sincere condolences to the family and loved ones who are here in court today and to those who cannot be here in person,” he said in court, according to Guardian Australia.

“It is important to me and my supporting team that you feel safe, heard and cared for throughout this process.”