Parents of Matilda – the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach terror attack – lash out at Anthony Albanese
The parents of the youngest victim of the Bondi terror attack claim they’ve been ‘betrayed’ by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his government.
The revelation came during the filming of a Sky News documentary in which Michael and Valentyna, the parents of 10-year-old Matilda, said that it was not only the two alleged gunmen who are ‘culpable’ following their daughter’s death.
Bondi: A Timeline of Terror will be presented by Sky News journalist Sharri Markson at 7.30pm on February 24, and will give a minute-by-minute account of the terrorist attack.
The attack occurred just before 7pm on December 14, when Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid, 50, allegedly opened fire during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, killing at least 15 people and injuring 40 more.
Ms Markson said Matilda’s parents were concerned about the rise of antisemitism in Australia during Albanese’s tenure as Prime Minister.
They felt that if his government had done more to combat antisemitism, the terror attack would not have occurred.
‘They say it in the clip – that Matilda was let down, was betrayed by the Albanese government, that action wasn’t taken on antisemitism and there was this escalation of hatred that culminated in Bondi,’ Ms Markson said.
‘So the sense from Matilda’s parents is it’s not just the shooters who were culpable, but the Albanese government.’
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Matilda with her sister and parents Michael and Valentyna moments before the shooting
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Anthony Albanese was not popular when he attended a service for the victims
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Matilda’s parents mourn at her funeral. The pair have been critical of the Albanese government
Valentyna said days after the terror attack: ‘[Albanese] has failed my daughter and failed every victim of the tragedy, and that had they done more, this would not have happened.’
Aussies online vented their frustration at Albanese after hearing the comments from Matilda’s parents.
‘All that is on you, Albo. How do you sleep at night,’ one person wrote on Facebook.
‘Investigate the contributing factors, it will point back to several key decisions by the present-day government,’ another said.
‘This is why the royal commission was delayed so long, so they could appoint the right actors and secure specific information away from any investigation process.’
Some, however, thought it was not fair to put so much of the blame on Albanese and not the alleged shooters.
‘How is he to blame. I’m not a fan but I can’t understand how he is to blame,’ one person wrote.
‘Did he give those two males the guns? Did he tell them to go to Bondi and shoot people?’
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Matilda was playing in the park at Bondi Beach before she was shot and killed on December 14
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Albanese at the funeral of former NSW Police Detective Sergeant Peter Meagher, who died in the Bondi Beach terrorist attack. Some have defended the Prime Minister
‘I’m asking because I want to know why people are blaming one person specifically?’
Ms Markson claimed no one in the Jewish community was surprised the terrorist attack happened, given the rise of antisemitism in Australia, particularly since the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas.
‘It’s extremely important to record the witness testimony and the stories of survivors to document exactly what happened and I feel that obligation, or duty, to document what happened acutely as a Jewish Australian,’ Ms Markson said.
Bondi: A Timeline of Terror will also feature accounts from people shot on the night, along with first responders.
One of the first Triple Zero calls has also been played.
‘I’ve pulled up on Campbell Parade. Looks like there is a shooting here,’ the first responder said.
‘We have at least 40, maybe 50 patients.’
Michael and Valentyna immigrated to Australia from Ukraine, with the father saying he named her Matilda because he felt it was ‘the most Australian name that can ever exist.’
