Abbie Chatfield has criticized the “objectification of women” and Australia’s “disastrous” mental health 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 knife Joel Cauchi was “definitely pointing at women.”
Cauchi, 40, murdered five women and a man after entering the shopping center with a 30cm knife on Saturday around 3.20pm.
Chatfield said in his emotional video: ‘This violence doesn’t start from nowhere. This starts when people continually talk about women as if they were objects.’
“That objectification of women allows for the dehumanization of women, and that allows men to easily fall down a slippery slope toward violence.”
Abbie Chatfield, 28, (pictured) has criticized the “objectification of women” and Australia’s “disastrous” mental health care system as the cause of the Westfield Bondi Junction massacre.
He continued, “Whether it’s domestic violence, domestic violence, verbal abuse, catcalling, sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, murder, mass murder.”
“These are not isolated incidents. These are very clearly related. How is it possible that people don’t see?
‘Talking about women online in violent and volatile ways leads to violence and volatility in real life. In our homes, in our damn shopping centers.
It was at this point that Chatfield began to lose his temper and added passionately: “Walking at night.” Traveling alone. We can not do anything.
“We are seen as nothing more than accessories,” he said through tears.
The podcaster took to Instagram on Wednesday with an explosive video after police revealed knife Joel Cauchi was “definitely pointing at women.”
Chatfield went on to criticize the state of Australia’s mental health care system and the difficult process involved in admission to a psychiatric facility.
He said misogyny and mental health are “serious” issues within the country and often lead to disastrous results when they intersect.
“This does not mean that Joel Cauchi was a victim, but there has to be some responsibility in the structures in which we live,” he said.
Chatfield then called for better funding to “dismantle patriarchy and build a strong mental health care system” in Australia.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed earlier this week it was “obvious” Cauchi was targeting women during his horrific attack.
Cauchi, 40, (pictured) murdered five women and a man after entering the shopping center with a 30cm knife on Saturday around 3.20pm.
The stabbing attack ended when NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who was patrolling nearby, confronted Cauchi alone 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 that police had seen extensive footage of Cauchi’s movements throughout the mall 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 in the images that he passes by other people. He continues walking past them and then attacks a woman.
Police Commissioner Webb confirmed the speculation to the ABC on Monday, saying: “It’s obvious to me… The offender targeted the women and avoided the men.”
‘We don’t know what was operating in the criminal’s mind and that is why it is important now that detectives spend so much time interviewing those who know him, were around him, close to him.
“So we can get an idea of what he might have been thinking.” We won’t necessarily know, but we have to receive judgment from those who know.’
Cauchi was known to police and had been living in Sydney sporadically for the past few years.
He was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 17 and is understood to have a history of obsession with knives.
While living with his parents in Toowoomba, southeast Queensland, they became so concerned about his fixation that they took his knives away.
His parents, Andrew and Michele, both in their 70s, refused to speak to the media after describing their son’s stabbing as “truly horrific”.
The devastated couple recognized their son from the television footage and made a frantic phone call to the police.
The Cauchis said in their statement on Sunday they have “no problem” with the actions of Inspector Scott or those of the New South Wales Police.
“We are absolutely devastated by the traumatic events that occurred in Sydney yesterday,” they said.
A police source said investigators believe Cauchi was “definitely targeting women” (pictured, a member of the public lays flowers in tribute to the victims outside the Oxford Street shopping centre).
Police Commissioner Webb confirmed the speculation to the ABC on Monday, saying: “It’s obvious to me… The offender targeted the women and avoided the men.” In the photo: Joel Cauchi.
They continued: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims and those still in treatment at this time.
‘Joel’s actions were truly horrific and we are still trying to understand what happened.
‘He has struggled with mental health issues since he was a teenager.
“We are in contact with both the New South Wales Police and the Queensland Police Service and we have no issues with the police officer who shot our son because he was only doing his job to protect others and we hope it is resolved.” I fixed them well.”
Police are searching a “very small storage facility” in Sydney that Cauchi rented shortly after moving from Brisbane to Sydney.
He reportedly slept 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 problem” with Inspector Scott’s actions.
Just six days before the attack, Cauchi invited Sydneysiders to join him for surfing at Bondi Beach in a post shared on a Facebook group for beginner surfers.
Cauchi wrote: “Hi, I’m surfing in Bondi this afternoon if anyone wants to meet there to surf.”
In another post, shared in December 2020 in an outdoor adventure Facebook group for Brisbane residents, Cauchi explained that he wanted to meet people who shoot guns.
‘Hi, I’m looking for groups of people who shoot weapons, including pistols, to meet, chat and get to know each other. Please DM me if you can help me! By the way, I live in Brisbane,” Cauchi wrote.
Social media users noticed the alarming post hours after police identified Cauchi.
“Thank God you didn’t get a gun…the devastation you’ve caused is pretty horrible,” one person wrote.