Reports in the Herald Sun on the 13th of August 2025, relate to a double murder in Mount Waverley, where a neighbour had the misfortune to find the deceased couple in a horrific crime scene.
The murders were allegedly committed by a 34-year-old male, who was reportedly homeless and destitute.
What is concerning is the rush to defend the horrific actions, implying mental issues.
The unfortunate neighbour was quoted as saying,
“It’s always ‘justice system this, punish them harder, that’. The guy who did this is a mentally ill homeless man who fell through the cracks.
“You don’t prevent this thing by punishing any harder. People like that need help.”
A not unreasonable position, probably shared by many.
However, it does highlight the failure of the ‘System’ within this State.
If this case is a matter of somebody falling through the cracks, the bureaucrats responsible will no doubt paper over their failings as they have in the past and will continue to do so in the future to protect their fiefdom.
How long will we continue to tolerate a systemic failure of unaccountability within the State bureaucracies?
Tolerating and indulging mediocrity will sentence this community to face more horrific incidents.
The problem that we as a State are currently faced with, across a broad tranche of bureaucratic performance, is the ethos they are aligned to.
They are, and have for many years been, captured by the ‘serve yourself first,’ coupled with an ‘unhealthy political bias.’
They have lost the concept of ‘service to the State’ in a morass of political alliances and self-indulgent practices.
The argument that there is seperation between the bureaucracies and the government has long been a fallacy, and the role of the bureaucrats to provide fearless independent advice to the Government has evaporated.
And that is why there are ‘cracks’ for individuals to fall through?
This recent tragedy, in which three lives were lost, including that of an unborn child, has once again exposed the dangerous cracks in our public systems. If it is established that the alleged perpetrator was known to authorities and yet allowed to fall through these ‘cracks’, then the leadership responsible must be held to account.
It is not enough to express regret or to claim that no system can anticipate every eventuality. That defence, while convenient, is unacceptable. The role of public administrators and executives is precisely to foresee, manage, and mitigate risk, especially when lives are at stake. When they fail in this duty, consequences must follow.
The Chief Executive of the responsible agency must either offer their resignation or be replaced. Leadership is not merely a title; it is a responsibility. And when that responsibility is abdicated, the public deserves more than apologies – they deserve action.
As for the alleged offender, while there may be indications of a psychotic component to his behaviour, this must not be used to diminish the severity of his actions. Accountability must apply equally to individuals and to the systems that failed to prevent this tragedy.
The system should be capable of identifying people at risk or at risk of harming others. Early intervention is essential.
The Community Advocacy Alliance calls for a full, transparent investigation and for immediate steps to ensure that such systemic failures are not repeated. We owe it to the victims, their families, and the broader community to demand better and to ensure that justice is not only done, but seen to be done.
It would be interesting to know if the weapon/s used were supposed to be in the Machete bin?
Seems costly cocaine is our most used illegal drug. Sane people could not administer a country as insanely as we are being governed currently. Perhaps it is time to drug test politicians and senior bureaucrats to ensure they are fit for office.
Horrific does not come close to describing this crime.
As for ‘mental health issues’, anyone who murders someone obviously has a mental health issue.
Their crime should not be minimised because it’s not their fault, they didn’t know what they were doing….
They should be placed in a secure facility for the same length of time other murderers are sentenced to, but given treatment for their condition.
They should not be released into the community early, because some woke psychologist who probably gained the job under DEI, thinks he is ‘better’!
Do the crime, do the time, no matter what!
Bring back lunatic asylums and facilities such as “ J” Ward at Ararat prison ,where they belong and receive appropriate treatment and not wandering the streets as they will be as our modern day magistrates toss it in the “ too hard “ basket.