The grieving mother of one of the innocent bystanders killed in the Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing says Australia needs a “complete cultural change” and has spoken about how love and Lego are helping her granddaughters cope with the tragedy.
Jade Young, a 47-year-old architect and mother of two, was with her youngest daughter in Sydney’s eastern shopping center when Joel Cauchi stabbed her and five others to death on April 13.
Elizabeth Young revealed in an emotional interview with The Project on Tuesday night that her nine- and 14-year-old granddaughters are working through their grief by talking about and following the “five Ls of life.”
“The love of family and friends, licks from Teddy the puppy, the lasagna that Andrew and others made for us, candy and Lego,” she said.
Elizabeth Young described the moment she discovered her daughter had been murdered in the Westfield massacre.
Jade Young, 47, had two daughters, one nine and the other 14. Her grandmother said they are coping with the tragedy by following the “five Ls of life,” which include love and Lego.
Mrs Young fought back tears as she recalled the moment she discovered her “very good-hearted” daughter had died while she was in the shops with one of her daughters to buy a birthday present.
“I heard my husband yelling something from another room,” she said.
‘And he came to the door and said, ‘Jade is dead.’ And life changed.’
While the discussion about Cauchi seemed to be aimed at women, the mother had a message for all Australians.
‘We have to have a complete cultural change. “Men need to recognize that muscles and aggression are no longer necessary,” said Ms Young.
‘Men need to look inside themselves. Mothers need to raise their children differently. “Parents really need to raise and educate their sons to respect women.”
When asked what she would like to say to politicians, the heartbroken mother did not mince words and said they had to “start seriously improving the mental health situation”.
‘They need to take action. We need more professionals in the mental health system. We need facilities to care for people with problems,” he stated.
‘In my opinion, and this is said by a very distressed woman, they should be governed much more closely than they are.
The tribute to Jade Young was held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney on April 23.
“No person showing these types of symptoms should be able to persuade a doctor to reduce their medication.”
Ms Young confessed she still didn’t believe her beloved Jade was gone.
“I have moments when I’m doing something mechanically, hanging up the laundry or washing the dishes, and I forget,” she said.
“Then there is a wave (that) runs through me and I have an image of her resting in the viewing room of the coroner’s court and that is an image that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
The grieving grandmother also showed off her new and first tattoo that reads “beautiful Jade.”
“She’s always with me,” he said.