Abbie Chatfield has slammed the ‘objectification of women’ and Australia’s ‘dire’ mental heath care system as the cause of the Westfield Bondi Junction massacre.
The podcaster, 28, took to Instagram on Wednesday with an explosive video after police revealed knifeman Joel Cauchi was ‘definitely targeting women’.
Cauchi, 40, murdered five women and one man after he entered the shopping centre wielding a 30cm knife on Saturday at about 3.20pm.
Chatfield said in her emotional video: ‘This violence doesn’t start from nowhere. This starts from people speaking about women as though they’re objects, continuously.’
‘That objectification of women allows the dehumanisation of women, and that allows men to easily go down a slippery slope towards violence.’
Abbie Chatfield, 28, (pictured) has slammed the ‘objectification of women’ and Australia’s ‘dire’ mental heath care system as the cause of the Westfield Bondi Junction massacre
She continued: ‘Whether that’s violence in the home, domestic violence, verbal abuse, catcalling, sexual harassments, sexual assault, rape, murder, mass murder.’
‘These aren’t isolated f**king incidents. These are very f**king clearly all related. How can people not see?
‘Speaking about women online in violent, volatile ways leads to violence and volatility in real life. In our homes, in our f**king shopping centres.’
It was at this point Chatfield began to lose her temper and passionately added: ‘Walking at night. Travelling alone. We can’t do f**king anything.’
‘We’re not seen as anything but props,’ she tearfully stated.
The podcaster took to Instagram on Wednesday with an explosive video after police revealed knifeman Joel Cauchi was ‘definitely targeting women’
Chatfield went on to slam the state of Australia’s mental health care system and the difficult process involved in admitting oneself to a psychiatric facility.
She said misogyny and mental health are ‘dire’ issues within the country, and often lead to disastrous outcomes when they cross paths.
‘This is not to say Joel Cauchi was a victim, but there has to be some responsibility on the structures in which we live,’ she said.
Chatfield then called for better funding towards ‘dismantling patriarchy and constructing a robust mental health care system’ in Australia.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed earlier this week it was ‘obvious’ Cauchi was targeting women during his horror rampage.
Cauchi, 40, (pictured) murdered five women and one man after he entered the shopping centre wielding a 30cm knife on Saturday at about 3.20pm
The stabbing attack ended when NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who was patrolling nearby, single-handedly confronted Cauchi before shooting him dead.
His victims were:
A police source told the Daily Telegraph that investigators believe Cauchi was ‘definitely targeting women’.
The source explained police had viewed extensive footage of Cauchi’s movements throughout the shopping centre and observed him selecting his victims.
‘I don’t think there’s any other way to look at it,’ the source told the newspaper.
‘You can see on the footage he walks past other people. He just keeps moving past them and then attacks a woman.’
Police Commissioner Webb confirmed the speculation to ABC on Monday, saying: ‘It’s obvious to me… The offender focused on women and avoided the men.
‘We don’t know what was operating in the mind of the offender and that’s why it’s important now that detectives spend so much time interviewing those who know him, were around him, close to him.
‘So we can get some insight into what he might have been thinking. We won’t know necessarily but we have to take a judgement from those who know him.’
Cauchi was known to police and had been living in Sydney sporadically over the past couple of years.
He was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 17, and it’s understood he has a history of being obsessed with knives.
While living with his parents in Toowoomba, southeast Queensland, they became so worried about his fixation that they took his knives away from him.
His parents, Andrew and Michele, both in their 70s, declined to speak with media after describing their son’s stabbing spree as ‘truly horrific’.
The devastated pair recognised their son from footage on TV and made a frantic phone call to police.
The Cauchis said in their statement on Sunday that they have ‘no issues’ with Inspector Scott’s actions or that of the NSW Police.
‘We are absolutely devastated by the traumatic events that occurred in Sydney yesterday,’ they said.
A police source claimed investigators believe Cauchi was ‘definitely targeting women’ (pictured, member of the public lays flowers as a tribute to victims outside Oxford Street Mall)
Police Commissioner Webb confirmed the speculation to ABC on Monday, saying: ‘It’s obvious to me… The offender focused on women and avoided the men. Pictured: Joel Cauchi
They continued: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims and those still undergoing treatment at this time.
‘Joel’s actions were truly horrific, and we are still trying to comprehend what has happened.
‘He has battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager.
‘We are in contact with both the New South Wales Police Force and Queensland Police Service and have no issues with the Police Officer who shot our son as she was only doing her job to protect others and we hope she is coping alright.’
Police are searching through a ‘very small storage facility’ in Sydney that Cauchi rented out shortly after his move from Brisbane to Sydney.
He was reportedly sleeping rough and had no fixed address.
Cauchi’s attack ended when NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott confronted him before shooting him dead (pictured). Cauchi’s parents said they have ‘no issues’ with Inspector Scott’s actions
Just six days before the attack, Cauchi invited Sydneysiders to join him for a surf at Bondi Beach in a post shared to a Facebook group for beginner surfers.
Cauchi wrote: ‘Hi I am surfing Bondi this afternoon if anyone wants to meet there for a surf!’
In another post, shared in December 2020 to an outdoor adventure Facebook group for Brisbane residents, Cauchi explained he wanted to meet with people who shoot guns.
‘Hi I am looking for groups of people who shoot guns, including handguns, to meet up with, chat with and get to know. Please send me DM if you can help me out! I live in Brisbane by the way,’ Cauchi wrote.
Social media users noticed the alarming post hours after police identified Cauchi.
‘Thank goodness you didn’t get your hands on a gun… the devastation you have caused is horrible enough,’ one person wrote.
