Non-fatal injuries 1 Start date August 23, 2016 Total number of deaths 2 | Perpetrator Smail Ayad Location Home Hill, Australia Attack type Stabbing | |
On 23 August 2016, Smail Ayad (29) a French national committed a stabbing attack at a backpackers' hostel in Home Hill, Queensland, Australia. The attack caused the death of two people and a dog and left one person injured.
Contents
It is alleged Ayad used the Arabic phrase "Allahu akbar" both during the attack and his arrest, and while police ruled out any links to extremism, they are still investigating whether he had a romantic interest in victim Mia Ayliffe-Chung. Police have indicated Ayad had used cannabis on the night of the attack. Ayad also sang the French national anthem during the attack.
On 25 August 2016, 29-year-old French national Smail Ayad was charged with the crimes of murder, attempted murder, serious animal cruelty and serious assault.
Attack
Ayad attacked Mia Ayliffe-Chung, his roommate as she lay in her bunk. Ayad then stabbed hostel caretaker Grant Schultz in the leg and chased the hostel's pet dog Atari around the yard stabbing the dog until it died. A second British backpacker, Tom Jackson was also attacked when he tried to help her. He died several days later. The attacker, Smail Ayad, continued to scream "Allahu akbar" as police officers worked to subdue him, injuring several officers.
Victims
British national, Mia Ayliffe-Chung (21), died at the scene.
British national, Tom Jackson (30), suffered critical injuries in the attack and died five days later in hospital.
Hostel caretaker, Grant Schultz (46), suffered stab wounds to the leg.
The dog Atari died at the scene.
Attacker
Smail Ayad, 29, was a French national who is Muslim. Ayad went out drinking once a week like many backpackers, where on Saturday nights he would travel to Ayr for rum or beer with other Frenchmen.
Since his arrest, he has been transferred from Stuart prison to a secure mental health facility in Brisbane.
Responses
The Islamic Council of Queensland criticised media reports for quickly linking use of this phrase with Islamic terrorism. On 25 August 2016, the authorities were confident the stabbings were not an act of terrorism. Several backpackers who have stayed at Home Hill before the double murder, spoke out against the violence that has broken out previously and the drinking culture among the backpackers. The town was called “Hell Hill” by one of the backpackers even before the murder incident and the backpacker warned others to “avoid it at all costs”. Mia Ayliffe-Chung’s mother, Rosie Ayliffe came to Australia for her daughter's funeral and began to discover the dark side of extreme working conditions on Australian farms. She has written an open letter advising the Australian Government to change the current regulations for visa holders of 88 days of work on a farm to extend visa, where according to her, this matter is highly downplayed by the media in Australia and UK.