‘It stays with you forever’: massacre heroes honoured
Abe Maddison |
Eight people whose selfless courage helped save lives during a murderous rampage through a Sydney shopping centre will be honoured with special bravery awards.
Two years after a man armed with a knife killed six people and injured a dozen others at Westfield Bondi Junction, Governor-General Sam Mostyn has announced the special Australian Bravery Decorations honours list.
“These Bravery honourees are characterised by their selfless, courageous, and determined response in unspeakable and horrific circumstances,” she said.
“Every one of them showed strength, and profound courage, as they placed the safety of others above their own, demonstrating ultimate care for others.”
Joel Cauchi murdered Yixuan Cheng, Faraz Tahir, Jade Young, Pikria Darchia, Dawn Singleton and Ashlee Good during a six-minute rampage at the Westfield complex on April 13, 2024.
Cauchi, who lived with schizophrenia and was “floridly psychotic”, was fatally shot by police officer Amy Scott.
The six bravery medals, recommended by the independent Australian Bravery Decorations Council, include two posthumous awards.
Ashlee Good was shopping with her infant daughter in a pram when she was attacked from behind.
When Cauchi tried to attack her daughter, she charged at him and pushed him away.
Despite injuries that would claim her life, Ms Good was able to hand her daughter to bystanders in a nearby store.
Security guards Muhammad Taha and Faraz Tahir were both stabbed while responding to the incident, with Mr Tahir suffering fatal injuries.
Frenchmen Silas Despréaux and Damien Guerot confronted Cauchi and used metal bollards to try to stop his rampage, before finding Inspector Scott and leading her to his location.
Cauchi charged at Insp Scott, who fired three shots, fatally wounding him.
Nurse Catherine Molihan, who will receive a Commendation for Brave Conduct, told AAP that “it stays with you forever”.
She was in a cafe when the sound of screams alerted her to the incident.
Ms Molihan ran into a nearby shop with others and the door was locked, but when she saw Mr Taha and Mr Tahir, she urged the shop manager to open the door so she could help them.
The manager told her that he didn’t know if he could let her back in, but she insisted he open the doors.
“All I could think of was helping those two (men) that I could see,” she said.
“I’ve got to get out of this shop and go over there and help – it’s just a natural instinct.”
She assessed Mr Taha and told him to “hold on tight to the shirt” that she used to stem bleeding.
“And then I went down to Faraz … I just gave him first aid and held his head and patted his beard and just talked to him, saying, ‘hang in there, Faraz’.”
Two years on, she still struggles to speak about the events of that day.
“It still does affect me. It was just an awful experience,” she said.
“”A nurse is just born to help and give and be kind to others. It was good that I was on the scene, because it saved someone else from seeing what I saw.”
The second commendation for brave conduct will be awarded to Noel McLaughlin, who was responding to a call advising that his wife, Jade Young, had been stabbed.
When he encountered the attacker, he alerted other bystanders to the threat, before later giving first aid to his wife, who died from her injuries.
In February, NSW coroner Teresa O’Sullivan released a report that exposed major failures in mental health services and security, resulting in 23 recommendations.
BONDI JUNCTION HEROES’ AWARDS:
Bravery Medal (BM):
* Silas Despréaux
* Ashlee Good (dec)
* Damien Jean Guerot
* Detective Inspector Amy Scott
* Muhammad Taha
* Faraz Tahir (dec)
Commendation for Brave Conduct:
* Noel McLaughlin
* Catherine Ann Molihan
AAP