Sydney mall attack madman ‘focused on’ women, police say: ‘Avoided the men’

· New York Post

A man who went on a stabbing spree in a popular Sydney mall may have been targeting women, police say.

Joel Cauchi, 40, was shot dead by a responding officer after stabbing at least 14 people — mostly women — during his afternoon rampage at Bondi Westfield.

“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,” New South Wales police Commissioner Karen Webb told ABC News Breakfast. 

Joel Cauchi, 40, was shot dead by a responding officer after stabbing at least 14 people. MEGA
Cauchi may have been targeting women. Joel Cauchi./Facebook

“We don’t know what was operating in the mind of the offender and that’s why it’s important now that detectives spend so much time interviewing those who know him, were around him, close to him.

“So we can get some insight into what he might have been thinking.”

Five of the six people stabbed to death were women. Several others, including a baby, were injured.

Authorities had previously said the attack was related to Cauchi’s “mental health” and that he was already known to police but had never been arrested or charged in his home state Queensland.

Cauchi had lived from place to place for several years and had been diagnosed with an unconfirmed mental illness at 17, Queensland police revealed in the wake of the massacre.

Dawn Singleton, 25, has been identified as one of the Bondi Junction stabbing victims. Dawn Singleton/Facebook
Architect Jade Young was a mother of two. Family Handout
Dawn Singleton, the 25-year-old daughter of multi-millionaire businessman John Singleton, also lost her life. LinkedIn
Pikria Darchia, a 55-year-old female artist and designer lost her life. Family Handout
Ashlee Good, a new mom who worked as a physical therapist was stabbed along with her child. Getty Images
Faraz Tahir, 30, a male security guard who was killed protecting shoppers. Family Handout

Victims have been identified by friends and family members: 

  • Pikria Darchia, a 55-year-old female artist and designer
  • Ashlee Good, 38, a new mom who worked as a physical therapist
  • Dawn Singleton, 25, a female ecommerce assistant whose father is millionaire entrepreneur John Singleton
  • Jade Young, 47, an architect and mother of two
  • Yixuan Cheng, 24, a female Chinese national studying in Australia
  • Faraz Tahir, 30, a male security guard who was killed protecting shoppers
Five of the six people stabbed to death were women. Several others, including a baby, were injured. AFP via Getty Images
Authorities had previously said the attack was related to Cauchi’s “mental health” and that he was already known to police but had never been arrested or charged in his home state Queensland. AFP via Getty Images

NSW Police confirmed that of the 18 people stabbed, 14 of them were women. Nine women and Good’s young child remain in the hospital.

Cauchi’s family on Sunday condemned his behavior calling the savagery “truly horrific.”