Inquest into Bondi Junction stabbing to cover 'insensitive' reporting

An inquest into the deadly Bondi Junction stabbing attack has been expanded to include the reporting of the tragedy, after the families of the six victims suffered “significant distress”.

Joel Cauchi, 40, fatally stabbed six people and wounded at least 10 others in the violent spree at the busy Westfield shopping centre on April 13 last year.

Ashlee Good, 38, Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, Yixuan Cheng, 27 and security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, were killed during his three-minute rampage. Among the wounded was a nine-month-old baby, who was released after being treated in hospital.

Further pain was inflicted on the victims and their families by the way the media covered the attack, NSW State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan was told on Monday.

The inquest - which is probing the circumstances of the attack with the aim - has now been broadened to examine that aspect.

The effect of the reporting on the families of the victims and others will be investigated from April 28.

“A number of families have reported their significant distress at graphic footage being shown in the media,” counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC told an inquest directions hearing at Lidcombe Coroners Court on Monday.

Family members of the victims dialled into the court on Monday.

High-profile silk Sue Chrysanthou SC said the families of Ms Good, Ms Singleton and Ms Young had their lives changed “in a way that none of us can really comprehend” and “insensitive and inaccurate” media reporting made the process much worse.

“Children’s lives have been altered by what occurred, and it’s important for them to understand if anything else could’ve been done, or if any recommendations can be made by you to ensure that if this ever happens again it won’t be as impactful on the family as it has been,” Ms Chrysanthou said.

Ms Singleton’s father, ad man John Singleton, has meanwhile called for the four-week inquest to be called off, saying no one would benefit.

“It’s just a waste of time, if it’s going to prove anything at all,” he told Nine’s 60 Minutes program on Sunday.

Dr Dwyer said the fact that tragedies like the mall attack are “very rare” in Australia doesn’t ease the suffering of the victims’ families, and noted the inquest would be taking a trauma-informed approach.

“For example, very soon after this tragedy occurred more than one of the families was identifying for the court their interest in an inquest that investigated issues like the effectiveness of Westfield Bondi Junction, security systems which were challenged by an act of such significant violence,” Ms Dwyer told the court.

She said graphic CCTV footage from the attack will not be shown in open court and urged the media to consider whether it was necessary to include it in their coverage.

Partitions have also been set up at the court doors to allow families to arrive and depart without being disturbed by a throng of cameras and reporters.

Other issues identified by the families included whether there were gaps in the mental health system and the training of security guards.

The inquest aims to save lives and prevent mass casualties by assessing whether there were any missed opportunities for intervention and how to improve emergency responses.

It will hear from a security expert in the UK who has previously given evidence in inquests for the Manchester Arena bombing and the Christchurch mosque attack.

One of the questions to be considered is how Cauchi selected his victims, who were mostly women.

It is slated to run from April 28 to May 30.

Ms O’Sullivan is expected to hand down her findings in December.

The pre-inquest hearing comes days before a memorial to the victims of the stabbing attack is due to be unveiled at the shopping centre.

Photographs and messages collected from floral tribute sites and the candlelight vigil will be on display from April 10 to 16.

Members of the public have been invited to visit and honour the victims at the memorial, which will be staffed by welfare support officers on April 12 and 13.

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