Inquest findings into Bondi Westfield stabbing, Joel Cauchi’s mental state to be handed down
A major decision is expected to be handed down nearly two years after Joel Cauchi killed six people in a shocking knife attack at Bondi Westfield.
A coroner will decide whether the psychiatrist who treated Joel Cauchi before his deadly rampage should be referred for regulatory investigation, as families prepare for the release of the inquest findings.
Dawn Singleton, Yizuan Cheng, Faraz Ahmed Tahir, Ashlee Good, Jade Young and Pikria Darchia were all killed during one of the worst massacres the country has ever seen on April 13, 2024.
Cauchi was “floridly psychotic” as he carried out his fatal rampage at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney’s east before he was shot dead by Inspector Amy Scott.
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Shocking details were uncovered last year as fifty witnesses were called to give evidence during a five-week coronial inquest into the tragedy, including claims of failures in the care provided by psychiatrist Andrea Boros-Lavack to treat Cauchi’s schizophrenia.
The victims’ loved ones, who were left “traumatised” when the psychiatrist claimed Cauchi’s fatal rampage had “nothing to do with psychosis” and was instead fuelled by a “hatred for women” and “sexual frustrations”, want Dr Boros-Lavack to be referred to a regulator for investigation.
Dr Boros-Lavack later withdrew the statement, and an expert psychiatric panel found Cauchi — who had been slowly weaned off all antipsychotic medication and a drug to treat obsessive compulsive disorder by the psychiatrist — was suffering psychosis at the time of the killings.
A decision on the investigation referral is expected to be made on Thursday as NSW Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan hands down her inquest findings.
Dr Boros’ Lavack’s care of Cauchi was probed at length, with claims Cauchi’s mother, Michele, was not taken seriously enough when she raised concerns about her son’s mental health decline.
This included Michele raising that Cauchi may have been hearing voices and was leaving notes that he was under “satanic control”, none of which was mentioned in letters to his GP when Cauchi was discharged from the psychiatrist’s care in 2020 ahead of his move to Brisbane.
Dr Boros-Lavack acknowledged there were “deficiencies” in her discharge of Cauchi.
Claims lives could have been saved had alarms been sounded earlier, and had there been a more competent control room operator (CRO) present, were also made during the final days of the inquest.
The need for improved interagency communications between NSW Police and Ambulance services was also flagged after confusion about whether the shopping centre was a “hot zone”, and if there was a second offender.
Ms O’Sullivan will hand down her findings on Thursday.
Originally published as Inquest findings into Bondi Westfield stabbing, Joel Cauchi’s mental state to be handed down
