'Loving a Monster': Bondi killer's parents speak out on son's 'truly horrific' act

The parents of the Bondi Junction Killer said their son came off his medications and expressed frustration over not having a girlfriend before his murderous rampage.

Joel Erickson

5 min read

April 15, 2024 - 12:33PM

Bondi stabbing attack victims identified

Family Life

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The parents of Bondi Junction killer Joel Cauchi have given the first clues as to the potential reasons behind his violent rampage.

Speaking to media on Monday, father Andrew Cauchi said his son was a “beautiful” boy, who “let himself down” when he went off his medication.

Mr Cauchi spoke of his pain and his heartache for families who have lost their loved ones when his son went on a rampage through Westfield Bondi Junction, killing six people and injuring more.

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A tearful Andrew Cauchi, the father of Joel Cauchi, spoke to the media at the family home in Toowoomba on Monday morning. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

“I’m extremely sorry, I’m heartbroken for you,” Mr Cauchi said outside his Rangeville home, about 130km west of Brisbane.

“This is so horrendous I can’t even explain it.

“I’m just devastated, I love my son.”

“Joel was very gentle, family orientated person who was very close to his parents,” she told the Courier Mail.

“Unfortunately he had mental health problems.

“He was a very quiet person and was not very chatty.

“His parents did talk about Joel’s mental health problems but I don’t think that (they) thought anything like this would happen.”

"I did everything in my power to help my son"

Mr Cauchi said his son had battled with mental illness for many years and had decided to come off his medication because he was feeling better.

“I made myself a servant to my son when I found out he had a mental illness, I became his servant because I loved that boy,” he said.

“He let himself down, he was taken off medication because he was doing so well but then he took off to Brisbane.

“You don’t know how beautiful this boy was. There’s no way, I did everything in my power to help my son.

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do or say to bring back the dead.

“I’m loving a monster. To you he’s a monster but to me he was a very sick boy.”

When asked why he thought his son had targeted women during the rampage, Mr Cauchi said he could understand why the NSW Police believed that was his motive.

“He wanted a girlfriend and he’s got no social skills and he was frustrated out of his brain,” he said.

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"I'm so sorry about what our son has done"

Cauchi’s mother, Michele, said her son’s actions were “very out of character” despite his mental health battles.

“I’m so sorry about what our son has done,” Mrs Cauchi said on Monday.

“We don’t know why he did what he did, it was very out of character.

“He was brought up in love, he was a loved child and he was under the care of his doctors for something like 18 years, he was taking his medication well and then he asked the doctor to come down on (the dose).

“He did so over a period of years.”

Neighbours describe Andrew Cauchi as religious and passionate about gardening, with Joel often described as a backpacker who travels to Melbourne.

Mrs Cauchi said she didn’t think her son would have been cognisant of what he was doing when on the violent rampage through Westfield.

“This is a parent’s absolute nightmare when they have a child with a mental illness that something like this would happen,” she said.

“If he was in his right mind, he would be absolutely devastated about what he’s done.

“He obviously wasn’t in his right mind, he’s somehow been triggered into a psychosis and he’s lost touch with reality.”

Joel Cauchi killed six people before he was shot dead by a police officer. Photo: AFP

"He had lots of friends until he got sick"

Mrs Cauchi said before her son’s battle with mental illness, he was liked by everyone he knew.

“We’re just ordinary people who brought up our son as best we could,” she said.

“He got a degree, we helped him get a degree. Everyone was very supportive of him. His teachers loved him, he was top of the class, he worked hard.

“He had lots of friends when he was growing up. He had lots of friends until he got sick.”

Mrs Cauchi urged anyone who had a relative with a mental illness to reach out for support.

Michele Cauchi, the mother of Joel Cauchi, received some flowers on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Killer had long-time fascination with blades

News.com.au reports Joel Cauchi had a long-time fascination with knives, and had previously called the police on his parents after they took his collection from him.

Queensland Police did investigate, but determined that no crime had been committed, so didn’t take any further action.

Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe told The Courier Mail the event had occurred in 2023.

“We are aware of an event in 2023 which we are investigating, but again that forms part of the more broader inquiries into his conduct, his health, his interaction with treating practitioners, his recent whereabouts in New South Wales, where he might be living and what’s changed from a person who is 40 and has for a number of years functioned in society to commit such a horrific crime,” Mr Lowe told The Courier Mail.

“We responded to an event in early 2023 with him and his family and it will form (part of) the investigations.”

Joel Cauchi’s family, described as “very religious,” were expecting him home to remove pigeons from their property before he committed the stabbing attack.

Cauchi’s parents broke their silence, expressing devastation over their son’s actions, acknowledging his battle with mental health issues since his teens.

"I don't think they thought anything like this would happen"

Neighbours told The Courier Mail Joel was described by his father as a “backpacker who travels to Melbourne”.

“He told me that his son was a well-behaved boy who got a bus pass so he could travel around,” another neighbour, Carol, said.

“At one point the son came back home with some other backpackers to help weed the yard. Andrew just loves gardening.”

Another neighbour said they knew Joel to be “very gentle” and “family orientated”.

“Joel was a very gentle, family orientated person who was very close to his parents,” she told the Courier Mail.

“Unfortunately he had mental health problems.

“He was a very quiet person and was not very chatty.

“His parents did talk about Joel’s mental health problems but I don’t think that (they) thought anything like this would happen.”

Cauchi was shot dead by police.

"Joel's actions were truly horrific"

The family first released a statement through Queensland police on Sunday night describing their son’s actions as “truly horrific”.

“We are absolutely devastated by the traumatic events that occurred in Sydney yesterday,” they said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims and those still undergoing treatment at this time.

“Joel’s actions were truly horrific and we are still trying to comprehend what has happened. He has battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager.

“We are in contact with both the NSW Police Force and Queensland Police Service and have no issues with the police officer who shot our son as she was only doing her job to protect others and we hope she is coping all right.”