Journalist Waleed Aly says the great amount of footage that surfaced within moments of the Sydney CBD stabbing on Tuesday afternoon is “traumatising”.
One woman was killed and another seriously injured in the rampage, allegedly perpetrated by a 20-year-old man who has been identified as Mert Ney.
Numerous videos of the man’s attack emerged on Twitter including footage, belonging to Seven News, that followed the man – wearing a top stained in blood – jumping on top of a car and waving his kitchen knife.
The Project Panel on the Sydney CBD shooting. Post continues after video.
Other vision shows the moment he was apprehended by bystanders, who used a chair and a milk crate to restrain him before the police arrived. One man can be heard screaming at the suspected murderer: “They are people you just stabbed… I’ll kill you right now”.
Discussing whether the footage being posted to social media is a “good thing or a bad thing” on The Project, Carrie Bickmore said, “It must obviously help with investigations and stuff, but seeing it all unfold … I don’t know”.
“I do feel like we’re being traumatised by watching it,” Aly said of the footage.”I’m not sure that trauma helps us in any way, does it really? Can you think of a way it would?”
Aly also reflected on what he would do had he been a bystander witnessing the crime, saying he isn’t sure he would be as brave as the men who have since be hailed as “heroes”.
“As I was watching the vision, I tried to imagine myself in it and I don’t think there is any chance of me approaching,” he said.
Top Comments
It doesn't help, seeing people bleeding and dudes going mental with knives. Even in emergency services, only the bare minimum will see any carnage, if a body is found, only one or two cops will even see it, they try to minimise exposure these days. They don't make cops attend autopsies any more, either. Because all of this contributes to mental health issues. I think the same can be said of the general public and this type of reporting.
Last night as this footage was shown my 6 year old asked when the evil part of the news would be finished.
I had a doctor's appointment last night, and they had the news on in the waiting room. I was already a little anxious, but by the time I got called in, I was bloody miserable. I completely empathise with your 6 year old.