TWIST

Sydney Mall Stabber Posted Sex Work Ads on Escort Sites: Report

He advertised an array of “closed door services” on multiple Australian escort sites.

The man who fatally stabbed six people and injured others—including a tiny baby—in an unprovoked attack at Sydney’s Westfield Bondi mall on Saturday had a secret past as an escort and had posted multiple ads on sex work sites, the Daily Mail reported. After police identified the stabber as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, the Daily Mail found profiles that Cauchi had created on Australian escort advertising sites such as Empire Escorts, Australia Cracker, and Escorts Australia, in which he described himself as an “athletic, good-looking 39-year-old” in search of a “fun time.” He reportedly also offered several “closed-door services” which he described in graphic detail. Cauchi’s stabbing rampage killed six people—five women and one security guard—and police are investigating whether he targeted women specifically as they attempt to piece together a motive. Authorities believe mental illness played a role, as Cauchi had “battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager,” his family said in a statement. Queensland Police said he’d been in contact with their department “primarily in the past four to five years.”