The Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) is dismayed by the decision to bail a man after he allegedly threatened to kill a doctor and staff at The Canberra Hospital (TCH) with a bladed weapon while directly referencing recent similar attacks in Sydney.
AFPA President Alex Caruana said that the ACT judiciary had again prioritised an alleged violent offender’s presumption for bail over the safety of the community.
“I really feel for the doctor and his family, his immediate staff and their own families, indeed the entirety of TCH staff, after such serious threats were made to harm them. Every single employee at TCH will now be looking over their shoulder after the man who made the threats was bailed. Bail conditions are not going to disrupt someone’s intentions to harm people.
“To apprehend the person inside the hospital, with a potential weapon, is frightening for everyone. Given what’s occurred recently in Wakely and Bondi Junction, it is abhorrent that a person threatening to do the same things inside a hospital would be granted bail by a judge.
“There is now going to be an additional burden on TCH security staff and ACT Policing members to ensure that this man does not return to the TCH to carry out his threats.
The AFPA is again calling on the Attorney-General to explain to the ACT community why such a serious alleged offender is allowed to continue to walk Canberra’s streets.
“This is another example of why we need a proper independent review of bail and sentencing practices in the ACT. If this person offends in the way he threatened to, will the Attorney-General hold the magistrate who made the decision to account?
“The AFPA intends to lobby to make a comprehensive review of bail and sentencing an ACT election issue. It will be up to the individual party leaders to decide how they address the issue, but we believe the ACT community deserves to know each party’s positions on law and order in the lead-up to the ACT election,” Mr Caruana said.
For comments: AFPA Media and Government Relations Manager – Mr Troy Roberts – media@afpa.org.au
The Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) is dismayed by the decision to bail a man after he allegedly threatened to kill a doctor and staff at The Canberra Hospital (TCH) with a bladed weapon while directly referencing recent similar attacks in Sydney.
AFPA President Alex Caruana said that the ACT judiciary had again prioritised an alleged violent offender’s presumption for bail over the safety of the community.
“I really feel for the doctor and his family, his immediate staff and their own families, indeed the entirety of TCH staff, after such serious threats were made to harm them. Every single employee at TCH will now be looking over their shoulder after the man who made the threats was bailed. Bail conditions are not going to disrupt someone’s intentions to harm people.
“To apprehend the person inside the hospital, with a potential weapon, is frightening for everyone. Given what’s occurred recently in Wakely and Bondi Junction, it is abhorrent that a person threatening to do the same things inside a hospital would be granted bail by a judge.
“There is now going to be an additional burden on TCH security staff and ACT Policing members to ensure that this man does not return to the TCH to carry out his threats.
The AFPA is again calling on the Attorney-General to explain to the ACT community why such a serious alleged offender is allowed to continue to walk Canberra’s streets.
“This is another example of why we need a proper independent review of bail and sentencing practices in the ACT. If this person offends in the way he threatened to, will the Attorney-General hold the magistrate who made the decision to account?
“The AFPA intends to lobby to make a comprehensive review of bail and sentencing an ACT election issue. It will be up to the individual party leaders to decide how they address the issue, but we believe the ACT community deserves to know each party’s positions on law and order in the lead-up to the ACT election,” Mr Caruana said.
For comments: AFPA Media and Government Relations Manager – Mr Troy Roberts – media@afpa.org.au
