WEBVTT - 15: A Shot to the System 0:00:00.640 --> 0:00:06.360 This podcast contains information and details relating to suicide. We 0:00:06.559 --> 0:00:11.760 urge anyone struggling with their emotions to contact Lifeline on 0:00:11.960 --> 0:00:18.960 thirteen eleven fourteen thirteen eleven fourteen or visit them at 0:00:19.360 --> 0:00:29.360 lifeline dot org dot AU. A twenty four year old 0:00:29.640 --> 0:00:38.839 devoted mother of two fleeing a violent relationships am bags 0:00:38.960 --> 0:00:45.200 packed car, running, her daughters strapped into the backseat. 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:49.040 Mom told me that she needed to go back inside 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:49.879 to grab something. 0:00:50.240 --> 0:00:50.640 Panic. 0:00:50.960 --> 0:00:53.199 Amy is dead, sir By, Amy's Dead? 0:00:53.280 --> 0:00:54.560 Eight Confusion World. 0:00:54.560 --> 0:00:56.600 About five minutes they said, n's a suicide. 0:00:56.640 --> 0:00:57.760 One hundred percent. 0:00:58.200 --> 0:01:03.360 This is emmersing. What do you think is really the 0:01:03.480 --> 0:01:05.279 honest truth about Amy? 0:01:06.360 --> 0:01:07.680 The Truth About Amy. 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:26.320 Episode fifteen. I'm Liam Bartlett and I'm Alison Sandy. In 0:01:26.480 --> 0:01:29.720 season one of the Truth About Amy, we brought you 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:32.560 the case of a young mum attempting to flee a 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:37.280 violent relationship whose sudden death was quickly ruled a suicide. 0:01:38.480 --> 0:01:43.280 Authorities failed to consider the possibility of murder, maintaining there 0:01:43.400 --> 0:01:47.520 wasn't enough evidence of domestic violence. But as we now know, 0:01:48.080 --> 0:01:52.040 they just weren't looking hard enough. We have photos. 0:01:52.480 --> 0:01:57.480 Erin, I've got a photograph that I believe Amy sent 0:01:57.560 --> 0:01:59.040 this to you via text. 0:01:59.320 --> 0:01:59.840 That is it. 0:02:01.400 --> 0:02:03.280 See I got told that they didn't find. 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:06.120 This, the police didn't find it. Yeah, well we did. 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:09.280 This is Amy saying, this is my. 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:13.200 Story, first hand accounts from friends who witnessed the violence, 0:02:13.560 --> 0:02:16.320 even while Amy was nine months pregnant, and all I 0:02:16.400 --> 0:02:19.359 saw was David with his hands around Amy's neck. We've 0:02:19.440 --> 0:02:23.120 uncovered fresh evidence thanks to our listeners, and yeah, she 0:02:23.240 --> 0:02:27.600 was dead. We'd been pigging and we'd like founder. Then 0:02:27.840 --> 0:02:32.040 we had to burn the clothes because the cops were 0:02:32.120 --> 0:02:32.560 chasing us. 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:34.760 No one talks about their plans for the rest of 0:02:34.800 --> 0:02:36.160 the week and the next day. 0:02:36.200 --> 0:02:37.679 To then go and do that. 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:41.440 And we know that Amy had formulated a plan to 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:43.600 escape with her daughters. 0:02:43.680 --> 0:02:46.320 And she was excited. It was almost done and she 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:48.959 was ready to get the girls out. 0:02:49.440 --> 0:02:53.640 Internationally renowned crime scene expert Scott rode A weighed in, So. 0:02:53.680 --> 0:02:56.000 The left hand can't pull the trigger, the right can 0:02:56.120 --> 0:02:57.480 can't pull the trigger, and. 0:02:57.680 --> 0:03:01.720 As an investigator, Liam is becoming pretty she then pull 0:03:01.760 --> 0:03:02.160 the trigger. 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:05.919 He's now the third independent expert to conclude that Amy 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:09.440 could not have killed herself, as well as officers. First 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:13.000 on seeing I said this is suspicious. This is just 0:03:13.120 --> 0:03:14.040 not a suicide. 0:03:14.240 --> 0:03:15.720 But both your colleagues agreed with you. 0:03:15.960 --> 0:03:18.160 Yes, oh yea one hundred percent And to this. 0:03:18.320 --> 0:03:23.359 Day now Wa Police has reopened the investigation and the 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:28.440 Director of Public Prosecutions will decide whether there's enough to proceed. 0:03:28.919 --> 0:03:31.160 This has to go to trial. There's enough evidence to 0:03:31.280 --> 0:03:32.960 prove that someone killed Amy. 0:03:33.240 --> 0:03:34.520 The truth must come out. 0:03:40.080 --> 0:03:44.480 And welcome to season two of The Truth About Amy. 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:47.880 Welcome back out, good Aliam. It's a pleasure to be back. 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:50.920 Nice to have our podcast back. And hopefully, as we've 0:03:50.960 --> 0:03:53.560 been saying all last year, most of last year, to 0:03:53.600 --> 0:03:55.920 get a result. That's what we're here for. But so 0:03:56.080 --> 0:03:58.640 much has happened, hasn't it since our last episode? 0:03:58.880 --> 0:04:01.280 It really is. I mean, you were here for it, 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:02.320 weren't you. The election? 0:04:02.560 --> 0:04:05.920 The WA election. Yeah, Premier Roger Cook now in his 0:04:06.040 --> 0:04:09.120 own right, romped it in with a resounding victory and 0:04:09.160 --> 0:04:11.680 that election and is now, as they say, out of 0:04:11.800 --> 0:04:13.920 Mark McGowan's shadows. So he'll be very. 0:04:13.800 --> 0:04:19.279 Happy, accompanied by his wife Carl and adult children. 0:04:19.640 --> 0:04:22.560 Labor has a new hero. Good evening Friends. 0:04:25.560 --> 0:04:29.800 David Simmons finally fronted the court. Although it seems like 0:04:30.040 --> 0:04:31.560 he had to be in prison for that to occur. 0:04:31.680 --> 0:04:33.000 He didn't actually turn up. 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:35.440 That was amazing, wasn't it. We'll talk more about that 0:04:35.720 --> 0:04:38.520 in just a moment. The other thing that's happened, of course, 0:04:38.560 --> 0:04:43.120 with the Premier Cook now running a new cabinet announcing 0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:46.719 a new lineup, is that there is a new police minister. Yes, 0:04:47.080 --> 0:04:49.520 but anyway, we'll talk more about that too. But perhaps 0:04:50.279 --> 0:04:52.840 the most significant story of the year so far happened 0:04:52.960 --> 0:04:58.200 in February when WA's top cop, Cole Blanche, the Commissioner 0:04:58.720 --> 0:05:02.240 admittedale that his police force had well and truly, to 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:07.200 use the vernacular, stuffed up the handling of the Mark 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:09.039 Bombarra case. 0:05:09.279 --> 0:05:11.600 Yeah, a bit of a change in tune from when 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:14.359 he was asked about it at the start, but let's 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:15.160 have a listen to that. 0:05:15.680 --> 0:05:19.159 Returning now to our leads story, the Commissioner has admitted 0:05:19.200 --> 0:05:22.680 the WA police force failed in the weeks before Jennifer 0:05:22.960 --> 0:05:25.839 and Gretel Pateelche's were murdered in their flory at home 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:29.760 last May. Cole Blanche spoke today alongside the gunman's daughter, 0:05:29.839 --> 0:05:33.839 Ariel Bombara. The bombshell report into the killings found eight 0:05:34.040 --> 0:05:39.000 officers failed to effectively perform their duties, James Carmody has more. 0:05:39.360 --> 0:05:42.840 So before we continue, it's worth noting the significance of 0:05:42.960 --> 0:05:46.600 the Bombarra story and what we've learned from it. Now 0:05:46.880 --> 0:05:49.640 we already knew Amy's case and the way it was 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:54.120 treated by authorities. We knew that wasn't an anomaly, but 0:05:54.240 --> 0:05:57.760 examining just how and why Mark Bombara was able to 0:05:57.920 --> 0:06:01.840 do what he did is I think pretty critical in 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:05.600 understanding the current cop culture here in the West and 0:06:05.680 --> 0:06:09.480 the level of integrity of those at the top. Now, 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:13.600 Amy's family is still fearful and not without reason, I 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:17.680 think fair to say the focus of WA Police in 0:06:17.800 --> 0:06:21.160 reinvestigating Amy's death is more about being seen to do 0:06:21.240 --> 0:06:24.440 the right thing rather than actually doing it. 0:06:24.720 --> 0:06:28.400 Yeah, we're at a critical juncture with Amy's case, rightly, 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:32.400 so it's being re examined by WA Police. So now 0:06:32.480 --> 0:06:35.120 our listeners, who are very vocal on social media if 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:38.640 you're not already please follow us on Facebook and Instagram, 0:06:39.040 --> 0:06:43.039 will undoubtedly all agree their cynicism is not unreasonable. 0:06:43.160 --> 0:06:45.000 No, I don't think it's unreasonable either, which brings us 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:48.520 back to the Bombara tragedy and the way it unfolded 0:06:48.600 --> 0:06:52.000 has been voluntarily laid out in this new report, and 0:06:52.160 --> 0:06:54.080 for the very first time we're able to see the 0:06:54.160 --> 0:06:58.080 issues at the center of modern day policing playing out 0:06:58.720 --> 0:07:02.960 almost as if in slow which gives us a sort 0:07:03.000 --> 0:07:06.920 of post mortem on WA police, detailing every aspect that 0:07:07.400 --> 0:07:10.640 tragically went wrong. Now to be Devil's advocate for a moment, 0:07:10.680 --> 0:07:13.960 the issues being experienced by police in Western Australia are 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:18.200 not dissimilar to those from other states. And we've said 0:07:18.240 --> 0:07:24.040 this before right that handling DV related cases, domestic violence 0:07:24.080 --> 0:07:27.680 related cases is not easy for any police force in 0:07:27.840 --> 0:07:31.920 any part of not just Australia or Australia's jurisdictions, but 0:07:32.400 --> 0:07:35.840 the entire world. It's a very difficult thing. But the 0:07:36.000 --> 0:07:39.360 difference here, I think in WA, as it seems, is 0:07:39.480 --> 0:07:43.440 the force's appetite for change and to get better and 0:07:43.600 --> 0:07:47.640 to actually reform so that these things have a much 0:07:47.800 --> 0:07:52.640 lower chance of happening again. It's much more reticent, I 0:07:52.760 --> 0:07:55.640 think in Western Australia than that of their counterparts in 0:07:56.120 --> 0:07:59.920 New South Wales and also in Queensland, which we've seen 0:08:00.120 --> 0:08:04.920 some substantial changes for the better, but thanks to a 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:08.920 very very brave lady, and I think that's probably an understatement, 0:08:09.000 --> 0:08:13.520 but the very vocal Ariel Bombara, we know that her 0:08:13.640 --> 0:08:16.640 father Mark was a time bomb waiting to go off, 0:08:17.520 --> 0:08:21.360 and when that happened, he made sure that he caused 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:26.200 maximum damage. Now it's not to say that his actions 0:08:26.520 --> 0:08:29.720 were premeditated, so let's not get that confused. He was 0:08:29.840 --> 0:08:34.079 just completely unhinged and as Ariel had warned, any degree 0:08:34.120 --> 0:08:36.760 of disappointment or distress could set him off, and that's 0:08:36.840 --> 0:08:40.800 exactly what happened, and as we now know, death and 0:08:40.960 --> 0:08:44.400 destruction lay in his wake. Now there was no chance 0:08:44.480 --> 0:08:46.160 of justice. All that was left to do was to 0:08:46.559 --> 0:08:50.000 pick up the pieces, microanalyze everything that happened, and put 0:08:50.040 --> 0:08:53.400 in whatever safeguards possible to prevent it from happening again. 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:58.839 So a complete investigation was inevitable and ultimately there'd be 0:08:58.920 --> 0:09:02.400 no hiding the fact that those responsible, whose core responsibility 0:09:03.240 --> 0:09:07.560 was to protect the community. I remember, that's what police 0:09:07.559 --> 0:09:09.480 officers al are sworn to do. 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:09.960 Right. 0:09:10.040 --> 0:09:12.560 That's the difference. Because we talk about duty of care 0:09:12.640 --> 0:09:14.720 in lots of different workplaces, don't we these days. It's 0:09:14.760 --> 0:09:17.120 a bit of a key phrase, But for the police, 0:09:17.160 --> 0:09:21.199 it's the ultimate They are sworn under oath to protect. 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:25.640 That's their whole rais ondetra. That's it, that's their job, 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:32.080 and in this case they utterly and completely failed. That's 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:34.960 not going too far. But before I get two worked up, 0:09:35.040 --> 0:09:38.200 let's return to James Carmody from the seven Perth newsroom, 0:09:38.480 --> 0:09:43.160 who covered the investigation report's release on the day, good afternoon. 0:09:43.360 --> 0:09:47.240 This report makes a series of important findings and recommendations 0:09:47.480 --> 0:09:51.080 about how WA police deal with the victims of family 0:09:51.240 --> 0:09:55.559 and domestic violence, and how police let down Ariol Bombara 0:09:55.679 --> 0:09:58.720 and her mother when they came to officers and warned 0:09:58.800 --> 0:10:03.040 them that Mark bomb Barra was dangerous and armed, just 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.000 weaked before he shot dead his wife's friend and her 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:10.319 daughter in Floreat Jennifer and Gretel Petelcher's here's what Ariel 0:10:10.400 --> 0:10:13.280 Bombara had to say about her dealings with officers. 0:10:13.720 --> 0:10:15.480 We told you that he was going to murder us. 0:10:16.920 --> 0:10:19.679 So did you not believe us or did you just 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:22.760 not give a shit? I can have empathy for human 0:10:22.880 --> 0:10:25.800 beings making mistakes, but that is a lot of human 0:10:25.920 --> 0:10:27.720 beings making a lot of mistakes. 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:31.040 The report details that fifteen officers in total had direct 0:10:31.120 --> 0:10:34.160 dealings with arial Bombara and her mother and more than 0:10:34.280 --> 0:10:37.840 half of them. Eight officers failed in performing their duties 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:41.160 to varied levels of seriousness. None were sacked, but they 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:44.880 have all received internal disciplinary action, the details of which 0:10:44.920 --> 0:10:47.920 have not been made public. Commissioner Cole Blanche says he's 0:10:48.000 --> 0:10:51.480 confident his officers do care, but they failed and were 0:10:51.520 --> 0:10:55.440 also failed themselves by a system that isn't working, failures 0:10:55.520 --> 0:10:58.439 that let the Bombarra family down. From the time Ariel 0:10:58.520 --> 0:11:00.480 and her mother first walked into me You're a Book 0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:04.040 at police station and told officers they feared Mark Bombara 0:11:04.200 --> 0:11:07.280 would use his licensed firearms to murder them, and she. 0:11:07.320 --> 0:11:10.120 Said, if Mum and I came in screaming and bleeding, 0:11:10.840 --> 0:11:12.280 it would have made a very different outcome. 0:11:12.920 --> 0:11:13.839 I've got to agree with that. 0:11:14.400 --> 0:11:17.160 That's why we've got our risk assessment wrong, because two 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:20.120 composed professional people came in and said the same thing 0:11:20.640 --> 0:11:22.800 and we didn't see it. We got it wrong. But 0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:25.160 I own that system and it's my job to fix it, 0:11:25.200 --> 0:11:27.120 and my job is to support our officers so we 0:11:27.240 --> 0:11:27.960 never do it again. 0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:32.920 The report makes eighteen recommendations. Eleven are complete, seven are 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:34.199 still in progress. 0:11:34.720 --> 0:11:37.319 Just a bit of background here. Bombara was licensed to 0:11:37.400 --> 0:11:41.000 own thirteen guns at the time of his murderous rampage 0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:44.760 thirteen thirteen. He was licensed for thirteen. Yes, yes, he 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:48.280 was unbelievable. The book Government has since passed new firearm 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:52.880 laws restricting license holders two between five and ten firearms, 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:55.760 as well as the requirement for mental health checks and 0:11:55.960 --> 0:12:00.679 mandatory safety training. Other recommendations include the immediate removal of 0:12:00.760 --> 0:12:04.520 a person's firearms when a report of family or domestic 0:12:04.760 --> 0:12:08.679 violence has been made against them, and the introduction of 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:12.880 a family violence coordinator to be present at the WA 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:17.000 Police State Operations Command Center at all times to allow 0:12:17.120 --> 0:12:21.839 officers to see expert advice. So what's the significance of 0:12:21.880 --> 0:12:24.160 this in the context of Amy. Well, as you know, 0:12:24.280 --> 0:12:27.559 Amy's case was also mishandled by police officers, and this 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:31.679 has been accepted and acknowledged by WA Police. But there's 0:12:31.720 --> 0:12:35.880 a new twist to our investigation, something admittedly we suspected 0:12:36.040 --> 0:12:39.000 but now have proof. In order to show you though, 0:12:39.200 --> 0:12:42.280 we have to provide some context and explore the handling 0:12:42.320 --> 0:12:44.400 of other cases so that you can see how it 0:12:44.520 --> 0:12:48.760 works in Western Australia and indeed in many other police jurisdictions. 0:12:49.160 --> 0:12:52.160 In Season one, we touched upon the brotherhood and the 0:12:52.240 --> 0:12:55.720 pressure put on officers to conform, but at the time 0:12:55.840 --> 0:12:58.920 we didn't really understand all the inner machinations and internal 0:12:59.000 --> 0:13:02.240 politics of the season will reveal what it's like to 0:13:02.320 --> 0:13:05.319 be a police officer in the wild West. But before 0:13:05.360 --> 0:13:08.560 we go into all that, let's lay the foundation. He's 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:11.880 Commissioner cole Blanche again. This time, though he's talking less 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:13.600 than a week after the tragedy. 0:13:13.960 --> 0:13:17.240 The information that the police had on the night, the 0:13:17.360 --> 0:13:21.319 circumstances would not have met the threshold of a seventy 0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:24.760 to our police order. There was a family violence incident 0:13:24.840 --> 0:13:28.880 report submitted, so it did I know, there are suggestions 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:30.440 that we did not act. We did act. 0:13:30.800 --> 0:13:33.120 Now we all know hindsight is twenty twenty, but there 0:13:33.200 --> 0:13:36.040 really seems to be a stark difference between what cole 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:39.079 Blanche said a week after the incident to what he 0:13:39.200 --> 0:13:42.240 said almost a year later after the report. What do 0:13:42.320 --> 0:13:43.480 you think, LIAMB Yeah, well. 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:44.679 I'm I'm glad you asked that. 0:13:44.800 --> 0:13:44.959 Olt. 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:50.040 I mean, you know, this is a classic. It won't 0:13:50.080 --> 0:13:53.720 surprise many of our listeners that this is a constant, 0:13:53.920 --> 0:13:59.160 isn't it. This is all about stand and rebut defend, defend, defend, 0:13:59.520 --> 0:14:04.280 no matter what. So as soon as something happens, no 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:08.000 matter what you think or believe or any of the 0:14:08.040 --> 0:14:10.840 potential scenarios, just get up there and say, we didn't 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:13.800 do anything wrong, nothing happened. You know, nothing to see here, folks, 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:16.200 Please move on. This is this part of the culture 0:14:16.240 --> 0:14:19.840 that we're talking about. And then, obviously, after an investigation 0:14:19.960 --> 0:14:23.440 that's done by an independent body or authority of some 0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:27.840 description that is detailed in its analysis that then you 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:29.720 can't stand up and say the same thing, can you. 0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:33.320 You have to respond to what the conclusions are. And 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:36.640 obviously cole Blanche has been caught in that classic pincer 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:41.040 where he has to then say, okay, well we got 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:45.000 it wrong. Now we apologize. Now we say we're going 0:14:45.080 --> 0:14:49.160 to reform. You know, let's go through exactly what happened. 0:14:49.200 --> 0:14:57.960 So here's two level headed, articulate, smart, distressed women telling 0:14:58.000 --> 0:15:03.080 police on several occasions that a dangerous, gun wielding, violent 0:15:03.240 --> 0:15:08.520 man with deteriorating mental health issues is going to kill them. 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:12.800 Not only that, on top of that, they are related 0:15:12.840 --> 0:15:16.480 to him. One is the wife and the other one 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:18.880 is the daughter. So that to me, that makes even 0:15:19.000 --> 0:15:25.560 more impact on what they're saying, and that that plea 0:15:25.680 --> 0:15:32.480 for help doesn't even warrant a seventy two hour protection order. Now, 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:34.840 just you know, think about that in your mind for 0:15:34.880 --> 0:15:39.040 a moment. I mean, let's put it another way. An angry, cruel, 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:44.920 vicious abuse of sick mentally sick and a rational man 0:15:45.720 --> 0:15:49.160 remains free and in possession of a loaded gun. And 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:52.320 as you've just pointed out out, he had no less 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:56.000 than thirteen registered firearms. So the police can dial that 0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:59.320 up on a computer at any moment, any instant, in 0:15:59.440 --> 0:16:03.680 any police station around Western Australia, so they know exactly 0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:05.960 what they're dealing with, right, they know how many guns 0:16:06.000 --> 0:16:11.400 he's got. But this bloke, this bloke is still permitted 0:16:11.480 --> 0:16:14.280 and this is not overstating it to threaten the lives 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:17.680 of his family, because his family is telling the police 0:16:17.680 --> 0:16:20.240 that he's threatening them and nothing is done about it. 0:16:20.840 --> 0:16:23.400 So even before an investigation, you've got to be thinking, 0:16:23.440 --> 0:16:26.440 hang on, hang on, there's something wrong here, isn't there. 0:16:26.920 --> 0:16:29.560 He's got to be something wrong with that process if 0:16:29.600 --> 0:16:34.240 you've got half a brain. But the Commissioner WA Police says, no, 0:16:34.680 --> 0:16:39.000 they took appropriate action, that's what he said, And this 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:42.560 is even with the rear view mirror having been cleaned, 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:46.280 because at that stage when he said that, remember two 0:16:46.360 --> 0:16:49.600 people were dead. So he then goes on to defend 0:16:49.640 --> 0:16:53.040 his officer's actions or inaction, saying an internal investigation is 0:16:53.120 --> 0:16:58.440 underway as some sort of acquiescence on his part. That's 0:16:58.480 --> 0:17:01.680 sort of something from nineteen sixty eight. I don't worry, 0:17:02.240 --> 0:17:05.520 internals are looking after it. It'll be fine, because that's 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:08.400 meant to make you feel better. Then six months later, 0:17:08.480 --> 0:17:11.080 the Commissioner again fronts the media following the conclusion of 0:17:11.119 --> 0:17:14.800 the investigation, which is undertaken by WA Police but overseen 0:17:14.840 --> 0:17:20.159 by the Triple C, by the State Coroner and the Ombudsman, acknowledging, 0:17:20.600 --> 0:17:24.320 as we've just discussed our yes, mistakes were made. And 0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:28.200 this is after the investigation report states very very clearly 0:17:28.280 --> 0:17:33.720 and concisely WA Police is completely to blame and eighteen 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:38.040 new recommendations will be introduced to minimize the risk of 0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:41.400 this ever happening again. I mean, does he have any 0:17:41.440 --> 0:17:44.440 other choice but to copy it on the chin? Clearly not? 0:17:45.200 --> 0:17:51.800 Clearly not, And that's what worries me. So does what's right, 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:56.200 what the right actions are? Does that have to be 0:17:56.320 --> 0:18:00.359 completely spelled out to WA Police before they do do 0:18:00.680 --> 0:18:05.560 the right thing. That's the very simple question. It sounds 0:18:05.600 --> 0:18:07.760 like something out of an episode of the Simpsons, but 0:18:09.359 --> 0:18:12.800 it's pretty obvious. I have a copy of the internal 0:18:12.880 --> 0:18:16.000 investigation report, not the full one that wasn't released publicly, 0:18:16.160 --> 0:18:18.840 but the sanitized one given to the media, and that's 0:18:18.880 --> 0:18:21.200 bad enough. And it starts with the summary of WA 0:18:21.240 --> 0:18:27.800 Police's contact with Ariel Bombara and her mother Rowena, including 0:18:28.520 --> 0:18:30.399 here we go, I'll give you this in bullet points. 0:18:31.040 --> 0:18:34.359 Their initial attendance at mirror Booker Police Station, then a 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:38.000 telephone call from Ariel to Perth Police Station while she 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:42.320 was still at mirror Booker Police Station. A subsequent telephone 0:18:42.359 --> 0:18:47.000 call from Ariel to the Perth Family Violence Team, then 0:18:47.080 --> 0:18:51.840 the triage process by the Fremantle Family Violence Team, then 0:18:51.920 --> 0:18:56.320 the police attendants at the Bombara family home to allow 0:18:56.480 --> 0:19:00.439 Ariel and her mum to retrieve personal items, and finally, 0:19:00.560 --> 0:19:04.159 last but not least, the inability of support services to 0:19:04.320 --> 0:19:09.200 contact the Bombarra family to provide follow up support. So literally, 0:19:09.280 --> 0:19:11.040 you know, if you go around the monopoly board, it's 0:19:11.280 --> 0:19:14.920 from start to go, you do the full lap. Do 0:19:15.080 --> 0:19:16.480 not pass anything straight to jail. 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:16.760 I mean. 0:19:17.200 --> 0:19:20.640 The report states that WA Police was warned on multiple 0:19:20.680 --> 0:19:24.120 occasions about the risk post by Mark Bombara, and those 0:19:24.200 --> 0:19:28.120 warnings were legitimate. That's what the report says. Now that's 0:19:28.160 --> 0:19:32.760 not me. I'll say that again. Those warnings were legitimate. 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:36.200 That's what the report says. So I think what they're 0:19:36.200 --> 0:19:38.960 saying here is that what they were told at the time, 0:19:39.119 --> 0:19:42.240 as opposed to what they know now was enough. It 0:19:42.480 --> 0:19:45.479 was enough to meet the threshold of the seventy two 0:19:45.600 --> 0:19:48.480 hour police order. And it goes on to say WA 0:19:48.600 --> 0:19:51.359 Police was aware that and I'll give you these in 0:19:51.640 --> 0:19:56.280 headline form again, Ariel's parents had recently split. WA Police 0:19:56.359 --> 0:19:59.840 knew that. WA Police also knew Ariel and her mum 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:04.159 feared Mark Bombarra's mental state was deteriorating, partly due to 0:20:04.200 --> 0:20:08.680 a recent minor stroke, and he was capable of murdering them. 0:20:08.960 --> 0:20:09.840 That's a big one, isn't it. 0:20:11.240 --> 0:20:13.320 WA Police also was aware that they had a long 0:20:13.440 --> 0:20:17.600 history of abusive, controlling and coercive behavior which was escalating. 0:20:18.280 --> 0:20:20.520 They were also aware that, as well as access to 0:20:20.600 --> 0:20:25.359 licensed firearms and a history of not securing them properly. 0:20:25.440 --> 0:20:28.040 That was all on the record and WA Police was 0:20:28.119 --> 0:20:31.080 also aware that they were concerned that one of his 0:20:31.280 --> 0:20:35.200 guns could not be accounted for. How many more red 0:20:35.240 --> 0:20:36.000 flags do you need? 0:20:36.680 --> 0:20:36.720 So? 0:20:37.359 --> 0:20:40.359 The report concluded, have a listened to this. 0:20:40.920 --> 0:20:45.639 WA Police attended approximately sixty thousand family and domestic violence 0:20:45.720 --> 0:20:49.720 related matters in twenty twenty four, often involving dangerous and 0:20:49.840 --> 0:20:54.400 complex circumstances. Whilst officers endeavored to make the best decision 0:20:54.480 --> 0:20:58.600 every time, the consequences of wrong decisions can be catastrophic. 0:20:59.119 --> 0:21:03.800 Police systems, policies and procedures must provide clarity to officers 0:21:04.040 --> 0:21:07.200 so they can make the best decision in every circumstance. 0:21:07.960 --> 0:21:11.159 WA Police have completed eleven of the recommendations and are 0:21:11.200 --> 0:21:14.119 progressing well with the remaining seven. We are committed to 0:21:14.160 --> 0:21:19.080 implementing all eighteen recommendations, supported by the highly valued input 0:21:19.160 --> 0:21:22.800 and guidance from specialist women's domestic and family violence services 0:21:23.200 --> 0:21:28.280 and those with lived experience. The Bombara and Patelchez families 0:21:28.320 --> 0:21:30.600 have met with the Commissioner of Police to discuss the 0:21:30.680 --> 0:21:35.040 outcomes of this investigation. The Commissioner has personally apologized to 0:21:35.080 --> 0:21:38.240 the families for the shortcomings of the police response. Repeat 0:21:38.280 --> 0:21:41.240 offenders who cannot demonstrate a change in their behavior have 0:21:41.440 --> 0:21:44.760 no place in our community and police will always recommend 0:21:44.800 --> 0:21:47.000 to the courts that they remain in prison. 0:21:55.880 --> 0:21:58.119 Thank you everyone, Thank you for being here now, just 0:21:58.160 --> 0:22:02.240 so you're getting the full picture. Here included almost everything 0:22:02.359 --> 0:22:05.880 that Commissioner Blanche had to say at that media conference 0:22:06.200 --> 0:22:07.280 on the first of February. 0:22:07.600 --> 0:22:11.959 Sadly, we estimate only twenty percent of victims of domestic 0:22:12.080 --> 0:22:17.440 violence report those incidents to police. Eighty percent of those 0:22:18.040 --> 0:22:20.600 in a violent relationship are often living in silence. 0:22:21.160 --> 0:22:24.720 So, going back to those stats, the statistics cited in 0:22:24.800 --> 0:22:31.400 the report, WA police attended sixty thousand DV incidents. 0:22:31.960 --> 0:22:35.560 That figure is incredible, Liam. So dividing that by the 0:22:35.680 --> 0:22:38.600 number of days in a year, it equates to police 0:22:38.680 --> 0:22:41.879 attending about one hundred and sixty five a day. But 0:22:42.000 --> 0:22:44.600 that's just the ones we know about. If that's just 0:22:44.720 --> 0:22:48.320 twenty percent of the totality, we're actually looking at eight 0:22:48.480 --> 0:22:52.760 hundred and twenty domestic violence incidents every single day. That's 0:22:53.000 --> 0:22:56.400 three hundred thousand a year. Astonishing. 0:22:56.760 --> 0:23:00.360 Yeah, that's incredible, isn't it. It is incredible. Really puts 0:23:00.400 --> 0:23:02.680 into context, I think are the extent of Australia's domestic 0:23:02.800 --> 0:23:05.920 violence problem. When you look at these figures, and remember 0:23:06.040 --> 0:23:10.240 these figures are just for one state. So it begs 0:23:10.280 --> 0:23:13.160 the question too, if you're a police officer looking into 0:23:13.240 --> 0:23:15.960 one of these one hundred and sixty five incidents that 0:23:16.080 --> 0:23:19.800 happen every day, how do you choose which one should 0:23:19.880 --> 0:23:20.720 take priority? 0:23:21.320 --> 0:23:24.200 According to the commissioner, it's those considered to be the 0:23:24.320 --> 0:23:27.879 highest risk. But who makes that determination. 0:23:27.960 --> 0:23:31.200 Well precisely, And of course we weren't at the press conference. 0:23:31.240 --> 0:23:34.080 We haven't had much luck getting on Cold Lanche's mailing 0:23:34.160 --> 0:23:37.600 list for obvious reasons. But this is what the police 0:23:37.640 --> 0:23:40.000 commissioner told journalists who were there. 0:23:40.560 --> 0:23:43.480 The finding is that officers did not correctly assess the risk. 0:23:44.560 --> 0:23:47.480 Therefore the available powers under the Restraining Orders Act and 0:23:47.600 --> 0:23:52.440 the Firearms Act were not exercised appropriately. A correct risk 0:23:52.520 --> 0:23:56.080 assessment would have provided sufficient grounds to issue a police 0:23:56.200 --> 0:24:00.399 order to Mark Bombarra, and that power then extended to 0:24:00.560 --> 0:24:05.600 seizing lawful firearms. The second key finding from the investigation 0:24:06.200 --> 0:24:09.360 is that insufficient action was taken by police to explore 0:24:09.400 --> 0:24:12.080 whether Mark Bombarrow was a fit and proper person to 0:24:12.200 --> 0:24:16.480