Bondi Junction massacre: Mental health expert’s warning after Joel Cauchi killed six people in Sydney

A leading psychiatrist has weighed in on the Bondi stabbing rampage, saying more accommodation is needed in the community to house psychiatric patients.

A leading Gold Coast psychiatrist has weighed in on the Bondi stabbing rampage, saying more accommodation is needed in the community to house psychiatric patients “who can be a risk to themselves and the community”.

Dr Philip Morris, president of the National Association of Practising Psychiatrists and the Gold Coast Medical Association, said many patients who in previously decades would have been housed in mental hospitals, were forced to live in hostels or on the street after the closure of appropriate facilities and the withdrawal of funding in recent decades.

Gold Coast Medical Association president Dr Philip Morris.

Speaking days after Joel Cauchi murdered six people at the Bondi Junction Westfield in Sydney, Dr Morris said more needed to be done for those with long-term illness.

“What we do know is there is a small group of patients who have psychotic illness and often complicated by personality disturbances and we have to be careful with that small group of patients who can be a risk to themselves and the community,” he said.

“Broadly speaking, what we have seen in the past 30-40 years is the withdrawal of a lot of the care which was available for patients with severe mental illness as the big mental hospitals were closed or reduced in size and the patients who used to go to these places were sent into the community.

“They cannot provide services for them, they lost their accommodation, they lose their mental healthcare and many are in hostels or other places which are not theoretically effective.

“What we need more than anything else for these patients are to build of residential supervised, clinically provisioned accommodation and rehabilitation for these people.”

Bondi Junction mass stabbing murderer Joel Cauchi.

Cauchi, 40, was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was a teenager and had spent years living on the street in Brisbane, Toowoomba and the Gold Coast where he had last had contact with police in December.

Cauchi was shot and killed by a NSW police officer during the rampage, during which he killed six people – Yixuan Cheng, Ashlee Good, Pikria Darchia, Faraz Tahir, Dawn Singleton and Jade Young.

Dr Morris said it was little was yet known about Mr Cauchi’s psychiatric state in the lead-up to the massacre.

“All that we have heard was that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was a teenager,” he said.

“We do not know what his circumstances were, we don’t know if he was under any treatment, what the nature of his illness was.

“Not too much can be said about this until the details are known.”

Cauchi’s family said in a statement he had “battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager”.

A person drops flowers outside Bondi Junction Westfield on Monday Picture: NCA NewsWire / Rohan Kelly

It comes as the community both in NSW and across Australia continue to process the traumatic events.

Hundreds of people have laid flowers outside the shopping centre, which remained closed on Monday.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has foreshadowed a permanent memorial.

Dr Morris said “Australia as a nation has been traumatised” by the incident.

“Beyond the individuals who have lost their lives or have been wounded there are others who are survivors of the slaughter – either escaping or witnessing the stabbing and when one considers the family, friends, associates and colleagues of each of these individuals it is clear to see that a significant proportion of people have been directly affected by this tragedy,” he said.

“The nation and individuals affected by this traumatic assault will be feeling fear, guilt, sadness and anger, and will be asking “why?” – a question not easily answered.

“For all individuals affected life will never be the same. But for most recovery will gradually build (but) unfortunately, a small but significant proportion of survivors and those bereaved will remain emotionally unwell.”

Dr Morris said it was critical for follow-up programs to support those affected by the tragedy.