A psychiatrist giving evidence at the inquest into the Lindt cafe siege has created controversy by saying two of the hostages had developed an “excessive or gratuitous alliance” with gunman Man Haron Monis that may have hampered the police effort to free them.
The unidentified doctor, who was working with police negotiators during the 2014 crisis, told the inquest yesterday that he believed Selina Win Pe and Marcia Mikhael were becoming “increasingly dramatic” during calls to police, reports The Australian.
via Channel 7.
He suggested that a listening device planted within the cafe revealed that the situation was "not as dramatic as they made out".
“I don’t know if they were posturing or they weren’t but they certainly weren’t helping,” he said.
The psychiatrist also suggested the women had begun exhibiting signs of Stockholm Syndrome - a condition in which hostages develop empathy for their captor.
“They were very supportive of his (endeavours) to procure a [Islamic state] flag,” he said according to The Daily Telegraph. “They … were very denigrating of police efforts.”
Mikhael saw it differently. The former Westpac project manager previously admitted to the inquest that she swore at negotiators because she was frightened what would happen if authorities didn't meet Monis' demands.
“When you are under pressure and think you are going to die … I couldn’t see why it was so difficult to get a flag … you don’t say that to someone who has a gun pointed at their head,” she said. “(I felt like) I was a piece of nothing and I am going to die and no one cares.”
The inquest continues.
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Top Comments
Until you are actually in a life threatening situation, particularly for a prolonged period, you cannot judge others for their behaviour under those circumstances. We all think we know how we would behave in a certain situation, but when it actually does, you might be surprised what you actually do.
This psychiatrist is extremely unhelpful, probably making inflammatory comments to draw attention to themselves.
Rubbish! Until you have been a Psychiatrist called to testify during an inquest, after working with Police negotiators during a hostage situation you cannot judge this person for their behaviour. Until you have raped someone you cant judge the Stanford rapist, unless you have shot your partner through a closed bathroom door you cant judge Oscar Pitoris. The reality is we all can and will be judged by others, and no one is immune to, or above being judged. Someone saying 'this particular action was unhelpful in this situation and if we can find a way to better manage it, we will hopefully improve the outcome if the situation occurs again' is precisely the point of an inquest. Unless you are arguing that we do away with inquests, the law, social services, review and debriefing, or even internet opinion sites, it is extremely unhelpful to peddle the idea that anyone should be above being answerable for their actions. If you have to severely limit the number of people you 'allow' to have an opinion or to comment, then the judgment you worry about is increasingly probably justified and valid.
Criticising the fears or behaviours of the hostages is not helpful to anyone. Sounds like someone blaming others because their 'expert' opinion turned out to be incorrect.
No I never said lets do away with..... on the contrary, I wholeheartedly support the coronial inquest process and due process of law. BUT I have been two situations where my life was in danger at the hands of another and I reacted in ways I never thought I would, feeling quite shocked and dismayed at how I reacted, that's all.
Oh bollocks to that. The point is not to do away with inquests or opinions - the point is to be careful whose opinion you listen to, as in all areas of life.
This guy sounds like a quack if all he can come up with in that whole unbelievable saga is to tell people the hostages were being too dramatic.
I am no psychiatrist, however from day 1, I thought Selina Win Pe revelled in all the attention. I, not for one minute think what she went through was not harrowing - but she milked it for all it’s worth. She was on the news last night and when she said “if Monis wasn’t out on parole there would have been no siege” (stating the obvious) but she is after the big bucks. At least she is here to tell the story unlike the others. She will sue NSW Police for sure. So I do believe there is an element of greed for her, unlike the others who are just going on about their lives.