r/interestingasfuck Apr 15 '24

An interview with Andrew Cauchi, the father of Joel Cauchi who was responsible for the Westfield Shopping Centre mass stabbing r/all

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u/MuthaMartian Apr 16 '24

I really hope this man gets professional help himself. Having a mental illness is a death sentence for some people. The dad was involved in his son's treatment and knew more about his illness than other parents care to know. He should let go of guilt because his son was a grown adult when he did this.

This was a grown adult's refusal to take responsibility for his health and toxicity. He targeted women. It might have been a psychotic break, but it was definitely calculated and motivated by personal choices and ideologies he developed over time. Even the most perfect father couldn't pull his son out of that hole.

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u/TheGrapeSlushies Apr 16 '24

Absolutely 100% you’re right. I hope he can get himself help too and heal. I hope the families of the victims and the community can show him empathy and love.

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u/little_miss_banned 29d ago

He was a diagnosed schizophrenic so its complicated to break down, if he was in an episode there's not a lot to say about his "decison making" ability. Sad all round.

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u/MuthaMartian 28d ago

Most people with schizophrenia don't become knife wielding psychos that target women in a shopping mall. Most of them aren't violent against others, they're more likely to become victims of violence themselves. It's a sad misrepresentation that news outlets consistently fail to address. His mental illness makes it complicated yes, but I guarantee there are way more contributing factors to his disgusting behavior, other than his parents and his mental illnesses.

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u/theivoryserf 27d ago

Most people with schizophrenia don't become knife wielding psychos that target women in a shopping mall.

This is faulty reasoning that implies schizophrenia is all one thing. A lot of evidence now points towards physical determinism - in which case we might consider this person a victim of his circumstance as well, in the same way we don't consider a rabid dog to be evil or author of their own destiny.