Knife attack in Sydney: his family recognized him on television, what do we know about Joel Cauchi, the mall attacker ?

The day after the knife attack in a shopping center in Sydney, the profile of the assailant becomes clearer. XinHua – Ma Ping

This Sunday, April 14, the terrorist trail in the knife attack which left 6 dead in a shopping center in Sydney seems abandoned. The profile of the assailant rather suggests psychiatric problems.

After initially leaving doubts by not ruling out the terrorist trail, the authorities now seem to be heading towards an isolated act, given the profile of the attacker.

The man who fatally stabbed six people on Saturday April 13 in a Sydney shopping center suffered from psychiatric problems and there is nothing to suggest that he acted out of ideology, the police announced on Sunday.

Known to police

The 40-year-old attacker, Joel Cauchi, was known to police in neighboring Queensland state, and law enforcement spoke to his family after the attack.

"The family, when they saw the images on television, thought it could be their son , and she contacted the authorities", said Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Roger Lowe.

La police a identifié l'auteur de l'attaque au couteau qui a fait 6 morts hier samedi dans un centre commercial de Sydney (Australie), il s'appelait Joel Cauchi, originaire de Brisbane, l'homme de 40 ans était connu des forces de l'ordre pour "des problèmes de santé mentale".
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— Verlaine (@__Verlaine__) April 14, 2024

According to eyewitness accounts, the attacker, who was dressed in shorts and an Australian national rugby league jersey, walked through the Westfield Bondi shopping center Junction with a knife in his hand.

Diagnosed at 17 years old

He fatally stabbed six people and injured a dozen others before being shot dead by police officer Amy Scott. Suffering from mental problems diagnosed at the age of 17, Joel Cauchi has had dealings with the police for the past four or five years without being arrested or charged with any crime, said Roger Lowe.< /p>

The murderer led an itinerant lifestyle, he slept in his car and was rarely in contact with his mother by SMS, the police officer further clarified.

The victims are mainly women

Knife attacks are rare in Australia, a country of about 26 million people with some of the strictest gun and knife laws in the world . Five of the six people killed were women. Among those hospitalized is a nine-month-old baby, in serious but stable condition, police said on Sunday.

The child's mother, Ashlee Good, died in hospital from her injuries, her family said in a statement. King Charles III, Head of State of Australia, posted a message on the Royal Family's X account: "Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who were so brutally killed in such a senseless attack."