Andrew Rule: Families have right to know truth

FIRST shock, then grief, then anger. Three days after the Bourke St carnage, there are more questions than answers — and, inevitably, some will sound like accusations.

The car pictured outside Flinders St railway station before the deaths. Picture: Tony Gough

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FIRST shock, then grief, then anger. Three days after the Bourke St carnage, there are more questions than answers — and inevitably, some will sound like accusations.

For politicians, police and the legal system, the blame game has begun. No surprises that the most obvious targets are ducking for cover from fallout that could and probably should change Victoria’s bail system forever.

Hindsight is always “20-20”, it is said after every disaster. Translation: who knew this particular (alleged) wrongdoer was going to launch such a deadly rampage until he actually did it?

Bystanders help people hit by the car. Picture: Supplied

A FUND HAS BEEN STARTED TO RAISE MONEY FOR THOSE HIT BY THE TRAGEDY. FIND HOW TO DONATE BELOW

EDITORIAL: THEY SHOULD BE ALIVE

We will hear many variations of that defence from police, politicians, the judiciary and civil libertarians as anguished questions turn to angry criticisms. As we did after the Lindt Café debacle.

Everywhere Victorians have gathered since Friday afternoon, you hear “shoulda, coulda, woulda” conversations as concerned citizens try to make sense of senseless evil.

But it’s understandable that people are angry at what happened — and worried it could happen again.

Accused man Dimitrious Gargasoulas, like Jill Meagher’s killer Adrian Bayley, seems to have been given bail when he shouldn’t have been.

But, unlike Bayley, he was on the police “radar” for hours before Friday’s havoc.

Unlike the murders committed by Christopher Wayne Hudson (the CBD killer), Queen St killer Frank Vitkovic, Hoddle St killer Julian Knight and Martin Bryant at Port Arthur, the Bourke St tragedy did not come out of the blue: police were watching the man who now stands accused of multiple murder.

The public can’t be blamed for wanting to know exactly how a stabbing apparently turned into a suspected abduction and a car chase from one side of Melbourne to the other and then into something that killed five people and injured dozens more.

We want to know if at any time in the hectic 16-hour prelude to what happened in the city something could have been done to stop it.

We want to know why a bail justice ignored a police request to refuse bail to the suspect — and what conceivable case he could have put for getting bail.

We want to know what sort of person gets to be a bail justice, and whether these are enthusiastic amateurs who should be replaced with on-call magistrates.

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We want to know if anything has been done to tighten the bail system since one female bail justice openly consorted with the notorious gangster Alphonse Gangitano — and then, after he was shot dead by another criminal, gave a glowing eulogy at his funeral.

We want to know why the accused man wasn’t detained in Yarraville, where he stopped long enough to be approached by a concerned onlooker as he ranted threats.

We want to know why the driver wasn’t tackled when his stolen Commodore halted at South Wharf, with police cars around it.

We want to know why he wasn’t arrested — or the car disabled — when he stopped at a derelict property with the girlfriend who says he abducted her.

We want to know why it took police cars crucial minutes to reach the intersection outside Flinders St station, where the man spent time doing slow circles, hanging out the window as he shouted threats, before slowly driving up Swanston St.

The car pictured outside Flinders St railway station before the deaths. Picture: Tony Gough

We want to know why it is that the only apparent effort made to stop him at Flinders St — before he headed towards Bourke St — was made by a brave motorist with a baseball bat.

We want to know why uniformed police at the intersection were not as bold as the baseballer, and why they did not rush the driver with batons, capsicum spray and tasers, even if it was too risky to use handguns.

We want to know why our police adopted US-style black uniforms because they look more intimidating, yet are not equipped like the same US police with short-barrelled riot shotguns that are capable of disabling offenders at close range, with a low risk of ricochets.

There will be more questions. Some will verge on hysterical, ignorant and illogical, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be asked, or answered calmly and honestly.

At least five grieving families have a right to know everything that did — and did not — happen in the hours before their loved ones were mowed down, allegedly by a man who drove through a huge gap in a ragged justice system.

The least we owe them is to fix the bail laws.

Fund started for victims ahead of vigil

The Bourke St fund has been set up, with Premier Daniel Andrews stressing 100 per cent of the fund would go towards helping victims.

The government has already donated $100,000 to the victims’ fund.

Victorians wishing to donate to the fund can do so by donating to:

Westpac Banking Corporation

Name of account: Bourke Street Fund

BSB: 033 009

Account Number: 668251

People can also phone [phone] for advice on how to donate.

More details here: vic.gov.au/bourkestreet

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