The hero cop who saved lives by taking down the Lindt Café siege killer almost 10 years ago still cannot be identified for legal reasons, and this is having a huge impact on his life.
On December 15 and 16, 2014, Islamist terrorist Horon Monis held 18 hostages at the Lindt Café on Martin Place in Sydney during a 16-hour standoff with police.
Monis was armed with a shotgun, which he used to kill the cafe’s manager, Tori Johnson, and said he had a bomb in his backpack.
Officer A, who was part of Team Alpha, shot and killed Monis, ending the siege in the early hours of the morning.
A decade later, hostage Louisa Hope told the Daily Telegraph that Officer A “has no freedom…he is still attached to this nightmare, all because of a legal situation.”
Sydney Siege hostage Elly Chen flees the Lindt cafe in Martin Place, Sydney, Monday, December 15, 2014.
On December 15 and 16, 2014, Islamist terrorist Horon Monis held 18 hostages at the Lindt Café on Martin Place in Sydney during a 16-hour standoff with police (pictured).
Mrs Hope, who suffered shrapnel wounds to her foot and stomach, and Officer A have become friends ever since, with a bond understood only by those who have “stared down at death”.
He said the suppression of his name has prevented him from rebuilding his life after the tragedy and prevents him from doing what he wants to do so much: help victims of crime.
The order to withhold his name from the public remains active even though the coronial inquest into the siege has been closed.
“The man went to work that day and found himself caught up in a multitude of the most challenging issues a police officer could face, but here we are, 10 years later, and he’s still in this state of limbo,” Hope said.
He added that all the police officers involved that day were heroes and that a “technicality” should not be allowed to affect the release of Officer A’s name, especially as he has now retired from the force.
Hope said she should have the freedom to pass on her experience, skills and knowledge to help other people, but she can’t.
New South Wales state coroner Teresa O’Sullivan told Officer A he has “no power” to allow his name to be known “when the proceedings are completed”.
If you went public and released your name anyway, you would face huge fines and could be imprisoned.
A spokesperson for NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley, who has been asked for help by Officer A, said: “Non-publication orders are generally a matter for the parties and the relevant court.
“Anyone wishing to have a non-publication order modified or revoked should seek legal advice to consider the specific circumstances of their case.”
As the legal block on naming him persists, Officer A is forced to hide his identity, which Hope says is “morally wrong” as he could be working for the good of the community.
“I feel like it’s a bureaucratic injustice because the truth is that this is an unfinished business from the Lindt Café siege,” he said.
Mrs. Hope has created a online petition to “return Officer A’s name.”
Hostage Louisa Hope said Officer A “has no freedom…he’s still attached to this nightmare, all because of a legal situation.” Image from St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church, Sydney
Terrorist Horon Monis used Ms Hope (pictured) to repeat his demands after taking hostages at the Lindt cafe in 2014. She is now a defender of Officer A.
People run with their hands up from the Lindt Café on December 16, 2014.
He saw parallels to his story in the survivors of the stabbing murder of six people in Bondi Junction last month.
‘I’m very worried about them. I know what awaits them, a lot of pressure from the media, from society in general, from the community. “They have the investigation ahead of them, which involves a lot of hard work to find answers,” he said.
Joel Cauchi, who murdered six people and injured 12 others, was shot and killed by a police officer at the Westfield shopping center.
Unlike Officer A, that heroic cop may be named Amy Scott.
