The Australian Federal Police Association is disappointed by the sentence handed down in the District Court of Western Australia to Amy-Lee Botefuhr, who stabbed two Australian Federal Police officers during a violent and unprovoked incident at Perth Airport on 13 January 2025.
Ms Botefuhr stabbed one officer in both arms and stabbed the second officer in the neck and face with a concealed pen. She came close to piercing his eye. One officer spent the night in the critical care unit at Royal Perth Hospital. Both officers continue to deal with the outcomes of this attack.
The maximum penalty for assaulting a Commonwealth public official is 13 years. The court imposed a head sentence of 12 months. With 10 months already served on remand, Ms Botefuhr will serve only two more months before release on a 15-month recognisance order.
AFPA President Alex Caruana said if she had been charged under Western Australian law, she would have faced a mandatory term of imprisonment for assaulting a police officer. Commonwealth law provides no equivalent safeguard.
“The sentence fails to deter violence against police and does not reflect the seriousness of the attack.
“This was a sustained assault on two officers who were protecting the travelling public. The offender’s circumstances are tragic, but they do not excuse repeatedly stabbing uniformed police officers with a weapon she hid from them. Our members face real danger each day. They deserve the protection of the law when they are assaulted.
“The penalties available under Commonwealth law are substantial, but the courts must apply them if they are to act as a deterrent.
“A sentence that leads to only two more months in custody for a serious attack on AFP members sends the wrong message. It weakens community safety and undermines officer morale. Assaulting a police officer, regardless of the location or jurisdiction, cannot be tolerated,” Mr Caruana said.
The AFPA urges the federal government to align Commonwealth legislation with state and territory laws so AFP members receive the same mandatory sentencing protections as their colleagues nationwide.
Mr Caruana said our injured members, their families, and every frontline AFP officer need to know that the justice system values their safety and service.
The AFPA will continue to support the two officers as they recover.
Media Contact: AFPA Media and Government Relations Manager Troy Roberts – (02) 6285 1677 – troy.r@afpa.org.au
The Australian Federal Police Association is disappointed by the sentence handed down in the District Court of Western Australia to Amy-Lee Botefuhr, who stabbed two Australian Federal Police officers during a violent and unprovoked incident at Perth Airport on 13 January 2025.
Ms Botefuhr stabbed one officer in both arms and stabbed the second officer in the neck and face with a concealed pen. She came close to piercing his eye. One officer spent the night in the critical care unit at Royal Perth Hospital. Both officers continue to deal with the outcomes of this attack.
The maximum penalty for assaulting a Commonwealth public official is 13 years. The court imposed a head sentence of 12 months. With 10 months already served on remand, Ms Botefuhr will serve only two more months before release on a 15-month recognisance order.
AFPA President Alex Caruana said if she had been charged under Western Australian law, she would have faced a mandatory term of imprisonment for assaulting a police officer. Commonwealth law provides no equivalent safeguard.
“The sentence fails to deter violence against police and does not reflect the seriousness of the attack.
“This was a sustained assault on two officers who were protecting the travelling public. The offender’s circumstances are tragic, but they do not excuse repeatedly stabbing uniformed police officers with a weapon she hid from them. Our members face real danger each day. They deserve the protection of the law when they are assaulted.
“The penalties available under Commonwealth law are substantial, but the courts must apply them if they are to act as a deterrent.
“A sentence that leads to only two more months in custody for a serious attack on AFP members sends the wrong message. It weakens community safety and undermines officer morale. Assaulting a police officer, regardless of the location or jurisdiction, cannot be tolerated,” Mr Caruana said.
The AFPA urges the federal government to align Commonwealth legislation with state and territory laws so AFP members receive the same mandatory sentencing protections as their colleagues nationwide.
Mr Caruana said our injured members, their families, and every frontline AFP officer need to know that the justice system values their safety and service.
The AFPA will continue to support the two officers as they recover.
Media Contact: AFPA Media and Government Relations Manager Troy Roberts – (02) 6285 1677 – troy.r@afpa.org.au
