Families of Sara Zelenak and Kirsty Boden speak at inquest into 2017 London Borough Market attacks
The parents and friends of Sara Zelenak and Kirsty Boden, the young Australian women killed in the 2017 London Bridge terror attack, have revealed how they happened to get caught up in the tragic incident.
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When terror-attack victim Sara Zelenak set out for London, following in the footsteps of her mother and older brother, she had the world at her feet.
Working in London is a rite of passage for many young Australians including Ms Zelenak’s older brother Scott and their mother Julie Wallace who undertook the pilgrimage at age 23.
The only difference was, they returned safely.
Ms Zelenak died of a knife wound to the neck which was inflicted during the carnage of the 2017 London Bridge terror attacks caused by Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30 and Youssef Zaghba, 22
An inquest into the attack began last night at London’s Central Criminal Court, also known as Old Bailey, before Chief Coroner Judge Mark Lucraft, QC.
The trio, who were armed with kitchen knives taped to their wrists and fake explosive belts, were shot dead by police.
Mrs Wallace said her daughter was not supposed to be in the area that night, but an unplanned night off work and sporadic plans with friends became a fatal combination that put her in the heart of the horror.
Eight others were killed, including South Australian woman Kirsty Boden, and 48 were injured in the ambush which lasted less than 10 minutes.
Speaking from outside the Central Criminal Court, also known as the Old Bailey, following the first day of an inquest into the attacks, Ms Zelenak’s mother Julie Wallace recounted how she found out her daughter had died.
She and her husband Mark boarded a flight to London in an attempt to find their daughter when she was just believed to be a missing person.
As they touched down during a layover they were confronted with the news.
“We were the last people in the world to find out,” Mrs Wallace said.
“My son told me when we were about to land in Abu Dhabi three-days later.
“I just went into shock, I couldn’t breathe.”
Mr Wallace said until that moment they still had “one per cent hope” that Sara would be found.
The inquest will seek to answer why safety barriers weren’t installed on the bridge due to the Westminster Bridge attack which occurred just three months earlier and how one of the attackers, Khuram Butt, was able to carry out the attack while under investigation by MI5.
These yet to be answered questions don’t inspire anger in the hearts of the Wallaces, instead they’re fighting back with love.
“That’s what they want though isn’t it?” Mrs Wallace said.
“That’s what they want, more anger, more fighting. I’m not going to do that, I absolutely refuse. We have to come together.
“Love will always win over hate.”
That passion has manifested itself into Sarz Sanctuary, a charity the couple set up with the aim of opening healing retreats for people who are suffering intense grief.
Mrs Wallace said they need to raise $2 million for the first centre, which will include holistic services as well as psychologist and is slated for the Noosa Hinterland in Queensland.
“I’m just the messenger and she’s (Sara’s) telling me, guiding me what to do. She’s always in my heart,” she said.
“We’ve also had a lot of support in France and here, we want to open one here as well and in Paris as well.”
On June 23 the couple will take off on their bikes from the Borough Markets to France for the Meet Me in Paris charity ride which will finish at the Eiffel Tower where they were supposed to meet Ms Zelenak 26 days after her death.
‘SLIDING DOORS’: INQUEST TOLD OF MOTHER’S PAIN
Ms Wallace yesterday told an inquest that “every sliding door slid for Sara to be in harm’s way” on the night she was brutally murdered.
She told the court of the grief that overcame her after the loss of her “loving”, “sporty” daughter who had moved to London to work as an au pair just months before her death.
“On that fatal night every sliding door slid for Sara to be in harm’s way,” Mrs Wallace said.
“She was meant to be working and at the last minute got the night off.”
Mrs Wallace said her daughter’s plans had changed throughout the night, but she eventually ended up at the Borough Market where she was fatally stabbed.
In 2018, the couple organised a seven-day bike ride from the London Bridge to the Eiffel Tower, where they were supposed to meet their daughter for a holiday 26 days’ after her death.
They have organised another charity ride this year called Meet Me in Paris, which will begin on June 23.
One by one, photos of the deceased were shown to the packed court as their families read pen portrait statements detailing the immense losses they had suffered.
In his opening address, Judge Lucraft told the court Australian Kirsty Boden, who grew up in the small South Australian town of Loxton, was eating dinner nearby with friends when the horror began to unfold.
Instead of running away, the Guy’s Hospital nurse ran to help victims.
Boden was dubbed the ‘Angel of London Bridge’ by local media and posthumously awarded an Australian Bravery Decoration as well as the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery.
Boden’s parents Ken and Tina broke their silence to tell how they will miss Sunday “Skype nights” with their daughter, saying “there’s a hole in our hearts that will never heal”.
“On our visits to London to see our amazing girl, Kirsty was our guide showing us her
London and surrounding towns. All Kirsty’s patience was required as she took her country parents from city to village. We had so much fun during our time spent together and it has given us so many precious memories.”
Boden’s boyfriend James “Jimbo” Hodder said he was not surprised that his girlfriend rushed to help others that night.
“Kirsty was so brave. We already knew that, she had demonstrated that countless times throughout her life. Her actions that night do not surprise anyone who knew her. To Kirsty it wouldn’t have seemed brave. She loved people and lived her life helping others. To Kirsty, her actions that night would have just been an extension of how she lived her life. We are so unspeakably proud of her and not a day goes by that we are not in awe of her bravery that night,” he said.
“Without Kirsty in our lives it almost feels at times impossible to go on. The hole left in our lives feels almost like a wound, and our wounds will never fully heal. Life will never be the same again. But, at the times when life feels hard, we know we just have to ask ourselves what Kirsty would do. Life now feels uncertain, but wherever we go we take the memory of Kirsty with us.”
The inquest will examine the deaths of the victims and is expected to run for 10 weeks, followed by a three-week inquest into the deaths of the attackers.
Witnesses regarding Zelenak and Boden are scheduled to speak on May 13 and 17 respectively.
Originally published as Families of Sara Zelenak and Kirsty Boden speak at inquest into 2017 London Borough Market attacks
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