Sydney Mall Attacker Targeted Women, Say Police

Australian authorities are intensifying their investigation into the tragic mass stabbing incident at a Sydney mall on Saturday, which resulted in the deaths of six individuals. The perpetrator, identified as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, is believed to have deliberately targeted women during the attack, marking it as one of the country’s deadliest mass killings in recent years.

Surveillance footage of the incident has led police to suspect that Cauchi specifically sought out women as victims. New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb highlighted, “The videos speak for themselves, don’t they? And that’s certainly a line of inquiry for us.”

Webb emphasized that it was evident from the footage that the attacker focused his violence on women while avoiding men. Of the six individuals who lost their lives, five were women. Furthermore, a “majority” of those seriously injured and currently hospitalized are women, underscoring the targeted nature of the attack. The only male victim was 30-year-old Faraz Tahir, an unarmed mall security guard and refugee from Pakistan.

Authorities have ruled out any terrorist connections to the attack and have instead pointed to Cauchi’s history of mental health issues. Detectives plan to interview Cauchi’s family members to gain a deeper understanding of his potential motives for the attack.

The stabbing spree, which occurred at a mall near Bondi Beach, resulted in six fatalities and left at least twelve others with serious injuries, including a 9-month-old infant. The attack came to an end when Cauchi was shot and killed by police. As of Monday, eight individuals remain hospitalized, with their conditions ranging from critical to stable. Among the victims, who ranged in age from 25 to 55, was 27-year-old Yixuan Cheng, a Chinese national.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned the attack, describing it as a “horrific act of violence indiscriminately targeted at the innocent people going about an ordinary Saturday, doing their shopping.”

In a poignant twist, Cauchi’s parents shared with the press that their relationship with their son had become strained due to his mental illness. Despite this, they expressed their love and support for him. Michele Cauchi, the attacker’s mother, disclosed that he had ceased taking medication to manage his illness and had been “somehow triggered into psychosis, losing touch with reality.” Andrew Cauchi, the killer’s father, mentioned that his son “wanted a girlfriend, but he’s got no social skills and he was frustrated out of his brain.