Ariel Bombara is devastated by the killings perpetrated by a man she said she had told police was armed and dangerous. She is now trying to ensure that other victims of domestic violence get the help they need.
Ariel Bombara,whose father murdered two women with his guns on Friday - says she repeatedly warned WA Police of the danger he posed.
“Here I am,another woman apologising for men’s behaviour,so I am sorry to the women suffering through this abuse,who aren’t receiving the help they need,” she said.
“Now is the time for Australia to come together and actually do something about this scourge of domestic violence on our society,and start listening to women and protecting them.
“I don’t plan to end this fight here. Something needs to be done and I will join the fight now.”
On Tuesday afternoon WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch responded to Ariel’s scathing criticism after she said she reached out to police three times for help when her father became violent,only to be ignored.
Ariel revealed she and her mother raised concerns about Bombara,63,at a Perth police station in March,but felt the officer they spoke to “did not have much care for our situation”.
They called another police station hoping for more help.
“Three times the police were spoken to. Five separate officers,” Ariel said.
“The first officer we spoke to,in my opinion,his attitude did not indicate that he had much care for our situation;to the point where,after expressing our concerns for our safety and our lives and the guns,his response in my opinion was not adequate. So I decided to call another police station and I spoke to two separate officers there.”
She said no protection was offered,nor help to navigate the system.
‘We’re all standing here today with the benefit of hindsight.’
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch
Weeks later Jenny and Gretl Petelczyc were shot dead in their Floreat home by Bombara,who was looking for Ariel and her mother.
Blanch confirmed the women asked the police for a temporary 72-hour restraining order to protect them from Bombara in the weeks before the murders took place,but said the idea was rejected because the circumstances “would not have met the threshold of the order”.
He said a full internal investigation would be launched,which would run concurrently with a coroner’s investigation.
“A police order is issued where we are concerned about an imminent threat to people,” he said.
“This[request for help] happened some seven weeks earlier[than the murders]. It’s what we knew at the time. We’re all standing here today with the benefit of hindsight.”
Blanch said a family violence incident report was submitted,but that where that report went and what action was taken as a result would form part of the investigation.
“The investigation will determine what we knew at the time and whether those decisions were appropriate,” he said.
“It’s important we do this thoroughly.”
The Bombara women did not have a violence restraining order on Mark and had not applied for one.
Speaking generally Blanch urged anyone fearing for their safety from a gun owner to apply for a VRO.
“If you are in a violent relationship with a person,a family violence restraining order,immediately will remove firearms from a person,” he said.
Blanch deflected a question over whether police rejection of Ariel and her mother’s request for a 72-hour restraining order would have discouraged them from applying for a full VRO.
“My job today is not to cause more grief to the family involved. The discussions that were had on that night about a range of things should form part of the investigation,” he said.
“But again,I can only reinforce getting a family violence restraining order would’ve removed guns from any person.”
Ariel claims officers called for backup and wore bulletproof vests while escorting her mother and herself back to the family home to get their belongings. But she said the officers did not think her father was “enough of a risk” for them to confiscate his guns.
“We were failed by the system,” Ariel said.
“There needs to be massive systemic changes made to protect women,to ensure this never happens again and that women feel safe in reporting abuse.
“Nobody actually listened to us and our reports and we weren’t given any resources and support. Nobody explained to us the system and the laws. We were not given any assistance.
“There needs to be a lot more education within the police departments so that when domestic abuse victims come in and tell their stories,we … start listening to them.”
Blanch raised the possibility of proposed gun laws to be amended to give police powers to seize weapons from gun owners in all “acrimonious” relationship breakdowns.
Ariel said this should not be a conversation about guns,but about the response to domestic violence.
“I don’t think gun reforms would have made any difference,” she said.
“Men will kill regardless of what weapon they use. If they want to they will find a way. There needs to be bigger reforms in domestic violence management and reporting.”
If you or someone you know is at risk, 1800 015 188;National Sexual Assault,Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service (1800 737 732);or 131 114.
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