Eight police officers will face disciplinary action after an internal review uncovered serious failures in risk assessment in the lead up to coward killer Mark Bombara’s rampage in a leafy Perth suburb.
Bombara shot and killed Jennifer and Gretl Petelczyc at their family home in the Perth suburb of Floreat before turning the gun on himself in May last year.
At the time, he was searching for his wife Rowena and daughter Ariel, who were friends of the Petelczycs, and who had earlier warned the police of Bombara’s deteriorating health.
Bombara was also licensed firearms holder at the time of the murders.
An internal report into the tragedy, released on Friday, found the police had failed to properly assess the risk Bombara posed.
“A total of eight officers were found to have not performed their duty in accordance with to policy and procedures to varying degrees of serious,” WA Police Commissioner Col Branch said.
“Internal disciplinary actions have been finalised for all eight officers.”
The investigation delivered three broad findings.
“Officers did not correctly assess the risk and therefore the available powers under the restraining orders act and the firearms act were not exercised appropriately,” Commissioner Branch said.
“A correct risk assessment would have provided sufficient grounds to issue a police order to Mark Bombara – and that power would have then extended to seizing lawful firearms.”
Second, Commissioner Branch said insufficient action was taken by police to explore whether Bombara was a fit and proper person to hold a firearms license based on medical grounds, despite police being told of his deteriorating medical condition by his family.
And third, “insufficient action was taken by police to identify and investigate alleged firearms offences, which included a report of an unsecured firearm,” the commissioner said.
Ariel Bombara, speaking after the commissioner, said she was baffled by how the police could miss so many red flags.
“This was the perfect storm of apathy and compassion fatigue from officers combined with shoddy systems, outdated policies and insufficient training and support that resulted in a lethal outcome,” she said.
“Jenny and Gretl should not have been murdered.”
The report lists 18 recommendations to improve how the WA Police acts on domestic violence matters, 11 of which have been completed.
Recommendation 5 proposed a new data platform for licensed firearms holders “to improve disclosure
processes and the sharing of risk-related medical information between WA Police and the Department of Health.
Recommendation 6, now complete, pushes the police to undertake “daily intelligence searches” to identify risk and to triage any police interactions with firearms licence holders.
The state government has also acted to tighten gun laws in the wake of the tragedy.
Bombara used a handgun and ammunition he owned under a collectors license and the changes entrench stricter requirements to gain a collectors license.
For an individual to obtain or retain a licence, potential licensees must be a student of arms, meaning they will need to show they have had a prolonged and genuine interest in the study, preservation or collection of firearms, and be a member of an approved society of firearm collectors, the amendment states.
The collection of handguns is only be allowed when an individual can prove the significant historical value, with a certificate of authenticity, of a firearm that was manufactured more than 50 years prior to the date of application.
The measures also prohibit the collection of live ammunition for any firearm listed against a collectors licence.
The reforms also give the police new powers to seize firearms without a warrant following a domestic violence report.
The murders sparked outrage across Australia and served as a jarring reminder of the catastrophic brutality of domestic violence.
Gretl attended St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls before studying at the University of Western Australia
Ms Petelczyc was a widow after losing her husband Jon in 2019.
Domestic Violence helplines
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