Legal papers accuse Australian Homestay Network of negligence after ISIS-inspired terrorist Momena Shoma stabs host

Several failures led to the ISIS inspired stabbing of a homestay host and including hiding her violent ways just to get the Bangladeshi into a home.

Roger Singaravelu, 56, was attacked by Momena Shoma. Picture: Tony Gough

A litany of failures led to the ISIS-inspired stabbing of a homestay host, including keeping the family in the dark about the Bangladeshi student’s knife attack at her previous home just to get her a placement.

Supreme Court action was launched against the Australian Homestay Network this week with legal papers accusing it of a litany of mistakes and omissions that almost led to a father being killed in a terror attack.

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Momena Shoma

Momena Shoma

Momena Shoma, 25, had been living with another host family prior to February 8, 2018 but her homestay was terminated after she used a knife to stab a mattress and was “behaving erratically”.

Despite the alarming behaviour, the Australian Homestay Network, which organised the student’s placement, did not alert the family of the mattress stabbing, failed to conduct inquiries into her background, failed to adequately conduct any inquiries at her prior homestay, especially the knife attack and did not exercise its duty of care to the host family, court papers state.

There is also inadequate screening processes for participants and Australian Homestay Network failed to respond to reports of Shoma’s conduct at the prior family home that ended after they became terrified of her antics, the papers state.

The writ said victim Roger Singaravelu had the right not be injured as because of “omissions”.

“The (Australian Homestay Network) knew or out to have known that Ms Shoma posed a risk to the safety of persons with whom she resided,” the writ said.

Mr Singaravelu, who is now seeking damages from Australian Homestay Network, agreed to host the linguistic student, 25, after being told she had nowhere else to go.

But just two days into her stay at the Mill Park home, the Burqa-wearing Shoma plunged a 25cm knife into his neck as he slept near his five-year-old daughter while yelling “Allahu Akbar”.

Roger Singaravelu, 56, with his wife Maha. and his daughter, Shayla, 5, who watched in horror Picture: Tony Gough

Shoma, who has pleaded guilty to engaging in a terrorist act in the name of violent jihad, later admitted to police being in Melbourne for just a week before trying to kill.

“I had to do it … it could have been anyone … he just seemed like a very easy target,” she said.

“I had to push myself. I wouldn’t even hurt a rat … I just felt like if I don’t do it, I will be sinful, I will be punished by Allah.”

She told police she was acting on the direction of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

In the court documents Mr Singaravelu, 56, who received an injury to his neck, now also suffers from post traumatic stress, adjustment disorder with anxious and depressed mood, pain, shock and suffering.

“I thought that I was dreaming as I felt a sharp pain on my neck. I woke up and started screaming. I saw (her) right next to me, she was on her knees, with both of her hands on a knife that was in my neck. Her eyes were so intense,” he said in his police statement.

Australian Homestay Network declined to comment citing ongoing legal proceedings.

Shoma returns to court in January for a pre-sentence hearing.

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@AleksDevic