Share and Follow
The sixth and final victim of a devastating stabbing spree might have escaped harm if an alarm had been triggered sooner, potentially preventing her from returning to the mall for a forgotten water bottle.
Pikria Darchia, aged 55, was among 16 individuals injured during a frenzied three-minute attack at a Bondi Junction shopping center in April 2024. Tragically, the victims included a nine-month-old infant.
An ongoing inquest is delving into the deaths of Darchia and five other victims, scrutinizing the effectiveness of the security measures and emergency response during the chaotic incident.
A critical 77 seconds passed between a security guard’s radio call upon spotting the assailant and the moment Darchia was stabbed.
“There is at least the possibility that if the alarm had been activated earlier, it might have led to a different outcome for at least one victim,” stated counsel assisting, Peggy Dwyer SC, during her closing arguments.
“Ms Darchia may have responded differently.
“She may not have stopped to retrieve the items that she dropped, and instead she may have attempted to hastily exit Westfield Bondi Junction or remove herself from danger.”
Dawn Singleton, 25, Ashlee Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, Yixuan Cheng, 27 and security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, also died in the furious attack before Joel Cauchi was shot dead by a lone police officer.
The 40-year-old had been experiencing acute psychotic symptoms at the time.
When doubling back, Darchia knew something was happening but had no indication there was an armed offender or that anyone was hurt, Dwyer said.
She disagreed with the operators of Westfield Bondi Junction that no alert could have occurred in time to warn Darchia.
Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan has also been asked to make findings about the management of Cauchi’s mental health and whether opportunities were missed to detect his deterioration.
Andrea Boros-Lavack, who treated Cauchi for eight years, initially gave evidence he did not have chronic schizophrenia and he was not unwell at the time of the attack.
“I honestly believe, that is my opinion, (the attack) was nothing to do with psychosis,” she told the inquest.
That answer was genuinely shocking, Dwyer said.
While Boros-Lavack recanted the next day, it had caused distress to the families of the victims.
Her characterisation of his mental health illness as prolonged first episode psychosis was “at best misconceived”.
But it was “more likely (a) deliberately disingenuous” attempt to justify her own decision to wean him off medication and her statement that he was not unwell at the time of the attack, Dwyer said.
However, Boros-Lavack’s lawyer contended she had not suggested Cauchi was not unwell at the time.
The psychiatrist has since accepted there were deficiencies in the way she handed over Cauchi’s care, including not flagging his relapse symptoms or the high risk that he would relapse.
The symptoms included thinking he was under satanic control, the inquest was told.
The families of Cauchi’s victims have called for the psychiatrist to be referred to a regulatory body.
Dwyer recommended the implementation of a preventative mental health care model, rather than a crisis-driven approach.
She commended the bravery of all of the emergency services staff responding to the fast-moving and violent scene, including Amy Scott.
Scott, the first police officer on the scene, quickly tracked down Cauchi, drew his attention and then shot him as he ran at her.
“I thought he was going to kill me,” the officer told the inquest.
Support is available by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14, beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25).