Victoria Police prepares for emotional farewell to Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart
Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart’s brother has urged the hundreds of Victoria Police members who gathered to farewell the fallen officer to remember him “for the way he lived, not for the way he died”, describing him as his “superhero”.
The brother of a senior constable gunned down by an armed fugitive has remembered the fallen officer as his lifelong hero and protector.
More than 3000 mourners joined Vadim de Waart-Hottart’s family to farewell the 34-year-old on Friday, with several thousand others watching the service on a livestream.
Vadim’s brother, Sacha de Waart-Hottart, described the darkness and rain that had fallen constantly as he travelled to Australia from his home in Switzerland after learning of his brother’s death last week.
But he told mourners he knew Vadim was with him when he spotted a double rainbow while looking out of the window of the plane.
“Nothing can take away the sunshine he has given to everyone here,” Sacha said.
“I really want you to remember Vadim for the way he lived, not for the way he died.”
Sun poured into the Victoria Police Academy chapel on Friday morning as he recalled Vadim’s love of his favourite superhero, Batman.
Sacha said the Vadim had loved the character since the pair were children because his mission in life was to help people.
“He was my very own superhero – he was my Batman,” Sacha said.
“My brother has always been my hero, my protector.
“All my brother ever wanted to do was to make people happy.”
Sacha told of his and Vadim’s strong sibling bond, recalling how Vadim would often bring as many stuffed toys for him as possible to play with when they were infants, before joining the same badminton, basketball and football teams as teenagers.
Sacha said Vadim was “always up for any adventure”, with his travels including trips to Peru and Bolivia, hiking and backpacking across Australia, and countless road trips.
Vadim was shot dead on August 26 by self-proclaimed sovereign citizen Dezi Freeman.
He died alongside Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, at Freeman’s Porepunkah bush hide-out, while seven of their colleagues were forced to take shelter as Freeman fled into the high country.
Vadim’s mother Carolina de Waart, who travelled to Australia with Vadim’s father Alain from his native Belgium, said her fallen son would live on around her through a tribute read by his cousin Jeremy Dellavedova.
“Our beautiful, kind, wise, joyful boy, taken from us,” she said.
“Mother Nature now holds him in her embrace.
“Vadim will live among us as a soft breeze on our cheek, an unexpected, pure white butterfly hovering over my head.”
A photo montage pictured a baby Vadim as he grew into the smiling “ray of sunshine” with piercing blue eyes Sacha had fondly remembered.
Vadim could be seen smiling in every image, his blue eyes peering into the lens if they weren’t trained on his family as he laughed and embraced them.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was among senior leaders present at the moving service.
Premier Jacinta Allan, Police Minister Anthony Carbines also attended, along with several police commissioners from across Australia and New Zealand.
So many officers and mourners turned out to the academy’s chapel that additional wings in its auditorium and cafe were opened to accommodate them all.
As she fought back tears, Vadim’s colleague and friend Constable Tali Walker-Davidson was met with laughter as she detailed how Vadim “wore his bloopers like badges of honour”.
The pair met in 2020 after he arrived at Maryborough police station, soon becoming roommates and close friends.
Constable Walker-Davidson recalled how Vadim, or “Vad”, had once startled a detective as he strode through the sleeping station at Maryborough in a towel to brush his teeth in the nearby kitchen sink.
Uniform officers could be seen smiling and laughing quietly to themselves as Constable Walker-Davidson revealed Vadim had been staying in the station’s quarters because the Covid pandemic had rendered it extremely difficult for Vadim to secure a rental property.
It was when that area underwent renovations that Constable Walker-Davidson offered Vadim the spare room at her home, where she said Vadim would often be found lying in a hammock outside, reading books and listening to music.
She remembered his “quiet confidence” and how he found “peace in the little things”.
She described him as “honest, hilarious, never taking himself too seriously”, and “a true romantic at heart, always giving and always thoughtful”.
She remembered Vadim as a family oriented man who would Skype his loved ones weekly, often for hours on end.
Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said “Nothing will compensate for this loss”.
“Last Tuesday was a shocking day for family and for Victoria Police.”
Mr Bush awarded Vadim the Victoria Police Star, an honour awarded to officers who have died or been seriously injured in the line of duty.
He was also awarded the National Police Service Medal, National Medal and Victoria Police Service Medal.
The several thousand officers in attendance formed the guard of honour along Mount View Road about 12:30pm.
Members of the mounted branch and the police band of drums and bagpipes led the hearse, as Carolina, Alain and close family followed closely behind in Public Order Response vehicles.
A police helicopter flew over the academy as the procession continued down the road, officers raising their left hands in salute as Vadim’s coffin passed.
Vadim was sworn in as a constable in March 2019 before being stationed in Maryborough and St Kilda.
He was promoted to senior constable in March 2023, and moved to the Public Order Response Unit the following month, where he remained until he volunteered for a short-term posting at Wangaratta in recent weeks.
Senior Constable Thompson will be farewelled at his own service at the police academy on Monday.
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