Bondi attacker had ‘mental health issues’ but most people with mental illness aren’t violent

A group of people near a crime scene at Bondi Junction in Sydney, after six people were stabbed to death at a shopping centre. Picture: AP

The man who killed six people and injured countless others at a Bondi shopping centre on Saturday, 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, reportedly had “mental health issues”, police explained soon after the tragic event, while ruling out terrorism.

Cauchi had reportedly been diagnosed with a mental illness at age 17 years and had received treatment in the public and private sector. But Queensland Police said Cauchi’s mental health had declined in recent years.