Westfield Bondi Junction: Joel Cauchi’s devastated parents send touching message to Australia in the wake of their son’s deadly shopping centre rampage
EXCLUSIVE
The parents of Joel Cauchi have expressed their gratitude for the support of countless strangers since their schizophrenic son was shot dead after stabbing six people to death in Westfield Bondi Junction.
Over the past two weeks, Michele and Andrew Cauchi have received cards and flowers from sympathetic Australians, many of whom have a family member suffering from serious mental illness.
The couple’s lives were turned upside down when their 40-year-old son went on the rampage in Sydney’s shopping center on April 14 before being stopped with three bullets fired in the chest by hero police officer Inspector Amy Scott.
The dead were: new mother Ashlee Good, 38, bride-to-be Dawn Singleton, 25, security guard Faraz Ahmed Tahir, 30, architect Jade Young, 47, artist Pikria Darchia, 55, and economics student Yixuan Cheng, 27.
A dozen other victims were taken to hospital, including Ms Good’s nine-month-old daughter, Harriet.
Michele and Andrew Cauchi, the parents of Bondi Junction Westfield killer Joel Cauchi, are pictured
Joel Cauchi is pictured (right) holding a knife as he goes on his murderous spree in Sydney’s Bondi Junction Westfield
Cauchi’s parents have been overwhelmed by waves of varying emotions since the massacre. They are devastated that their son could become so unhinged that he would turn into a multiple murderer.
“First of all, I feel for the victims,” Ms Cauchi told Daily Mail Australia from her home in Toowoomba on Friday. ‘I don’t want to take anything away from the victims.
“I’m so sorry for what happened. Our son has unraveled over the past few months and we didn’t know it.
‘But I just want to thank the people in Australia who have sent cards and letters.
‘The majority of them have a family member with a mental illness.’
Mrs. Cauchi said many of the notes she and her husband received did not have return addresses, so she could not respond to senders.
“I’m not in a position to answer them at this stage anyway,” she said. “But I just wanted to thank you, people have been very nice.”
Mr Cauchi said he and his wife had received so many flowers that when a “lovely girl from the neighborhood” arrived with more flowers, he had not shown enough appreciation.
“We’ve been inundated with probably $2,000 worth of flowers,” Cauchi said. “And food and fruit and cards.”
Mr Cauchi said he was grateful for “the compassion of this nation” but would try to deal with what his son had done “for the next 40 years”.
“As far as I’m concerned, Joel deserves what he got,” he said through tears.
His wife immediately responded: “Shoosh, don’t say that.”
“He is very upset,” Ms Cauchi said.
‘We didn’t know he had slipped that far. And even if we knew, what would we do?
“Forcibly bring our adult child home, and then what? Where would you take him? I’m sorry, it’s just really hard.
Police officer Amy Scott (pictured) prevented more carnage after stumbling into a shopping center and putting an end to Joel Cauchi’s rampage
‘He did something terrible and I don’t deny that. I’m really sorry it happened.’
Ms Cauchi said NSW and Queensland police had been “absolutely amazing” in their dealings with the couple.
“Everyone has been very thoughtful,” she said. “Regardless of what they may have thought about what happened, they have been very kind.
“So I just wanted to thank you.”
Bondi Junction Westfield victim Ashlee Good, 38, is pictured
Bondi Junction Westfield victim Dawn Singleton, 25, is pictured
Pictured is 30-year-old Faraz Tahir, victim of the Bondi Junction Westfield massacre
Pictured is Pikria Darchia, a victim of the Bondi Junction Westfield massacre, aged 55
Bondi Junction Westfield victim Yixuan Cheng, 27, is pictured
Bondi Junction Westfield victim Jade Young, 47, is pictured