SYDNEY — Australia’s prime minister acknowledged Wednesday that the nation’s security system failed to keep track of a gunman responsible for a deadly siege at a Sydney cafe and promised a transparent investigation into why the man was not on any terror watch list despite having a long criminal history.
Man Haron Monis, a 50-year-old Iranian-born, self-styled cleric described by Prime Minister Tony Abbott as deeply disturbed, took 17 people hostage inside a downtown Sydney cafe Monday. Sixteen hours later, the siege ended in a barrage of gunfire when police rushed in to free the captives. Two hostages were killed, along with Monis.
“The system did not adequately deal with this individual,” Abbott conceded Wednesday. “Two very decent people are dead. Others are injured. Others are traumatized because of a madman who was roaming our streets.”
Monis was convicted and sentenced last year to 300 hours of community service for sending what a judge called “grossly offensive” letters to families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009. He later was charged with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife. Earlier this year, he was charged with the 2002 sexual assault of a woman.
He had been out on bail on all the charges.
Just three days before Monis began his deadly rampage, Australia’s highest court refused to hear his appeal against his convictions for sending the letters.
High Court documents show that Chief Justice Robert French and Justice Chief Stephen Gageler ruled at 9:50 a.m. Friday that the full bench of their court would not hear Monis’ constitutional challenge to his convictions. At 9:44 a.m. the next business day, a shotgun-wielding Monis walked into the cafe, just a short stroll from the courtroom where the ruling was delivered.
Abbott acknowledged it is impossible for security agencies to monitor everyone. But Monis’ history prompted a flurry of questions about why he was out on bail and how he got a shotgun in a country with tough gun ownership laws.
Officials have yet to say whether Katrina Dawson, 38, and Tori Johnson, 34, died in the crossfire as police stormed in or were shot by their captor.
“I’ll never forget this day as long as I live,” said Jenny Borovina, who was in tears while carrying white flowers to the site. “Our laid-back nature has just changed.”
At an emotional memorial attended by hundreds, Johnson was lauded for sacrificing his life and helping to bring the siege to an end by grabbing Monis’ shotgun.
“Apparently seeing an opportunity, Tori grabbed the gun,” Sydney’s Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher said. “Tragically, it went off, killing him. But it triggered the response of police and eventual freedom for most of the hostages.”
