Five women and one man were killed in a horrific stabbing attack that happened at a shopping center in Sydney on Saturday afternoon. The Australian Police said that the attack was intentionally targeted towards women. The attack, which shocked the country, was carried out by the suspect, Joel Cauchi, 40, acting alone.
Commissioner Karen Webb of the New South Wales Police Service emphasized the attack’s targeted character, saying it was clear that the attacker avoided men and concentrated on women. Since then, the focus of police investigations has been on figuring out what motivated the attack, including questioning Cauchi’s friends to get insights of his thoughts.
The police said that the suspect was a 40-year-old man who acted alone.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb on Monday stated that it was “obvious” that the suspected attacker, Joel Cauchi, targeted women.
“It’s obvious to me, it’s obvious to detectives that seems to be an area of interest that the offender focused on women and avoided the men,” Webb told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), according to Al Jazeera.
The victims, included a 55-year-old designer, a 47-year-old architect and volunteer surf lifesaver, the daughter of a 25-year-old entrepreneur, a 27-year-old Chinese student, a 38-year-old new mother, and a 30-year-old Pakistani security guard who bravely tried to stop the attacker, have been remembered across the country.
The majority of the victims were women, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed grave concerns about the gender breakdown of the casualties. In line with the emotions of a nation in shock, he called the atrocity “beyond words and understanding.”
A significant law enforcement response was sparked by the attack, with several forces mobilizing to establish security and begin a thorough inquiry. Increased security precautions and acts of solidarity, such as displaying Australia’s national flag at half-mast at significant Sydney places, were observed in the aftermath.
As Australia struggles to deal with this tragic event’s consequences, focus has shifted to finding justice for the victims and figuring out what exactly went wrong to cause such a horrific loss of life in a public place.