Eight police officers are facing disciplinary action after internal reviews uncovered serious failures in risk assessment leading up to the tragic murders of Jenny and Gretl Petelczyc by Mark Bombara in Floreat, Australia. The investigation revealed alarming inadequacies in how officers handled warnings about Bombara, who shot the mother and daughter before taking his own life back in May 2023.
During this horrifying incident, Bombara was reportedly searching for his estranged wife, Rowena, and daughter, Ariel, who were friends with the Petelczycs, and who had previously alerted police about Bombara’s deteriorated mental health. At the time of the murders, Bombara was legally licensed to possess firearms, raising serious concerns about how he was allowed to retain his weapons.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch stated, "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." The findings of the internal report, released on January 31, 2025, revealed three main failures on the part of the police.
First, the report found police officers failed to accurately assess the risks associated with Bombara, meaning they did not use the available powers under the Restraining Orders Act and Firearms Act appropriately. Blanch explained, "A correct risk assessment would have provided sufficient grounds to issue a police order to Mark Bombara – and the powers would have extended to seizing lawful firearms."
Second, the report outlined how police did not take sufficient measures to determine whether Bombara was still considered fit to hold his firearms license, especially after his family communicated his mental health struggles, including suffering from minor strokes prior to the killings. Lastly, the investigation pointed out the lack of police action to examine alleged firearms offenses, including reports of Bombara possessing unsecured firearms.
Reflecting on the police response, Ariel Bombara voiced her frustrations, asking, "We told you he was going to murder us... did you not believe us ... or did you just not give a shit?" She expressed her bewilderment at the systemic failures, attributing the outcome to what she described as "a perfect storm of apathy and compassion fatigue from officers combined with shoddy systems, outdated policies and insufficient training and support."
Following the report's findings, new measures were initiated to tackle domestic violence and firearms control. The WA state government has introduced stricter gun laws—significantly altering the requirements for obtaining or retaining a collector's license. Individuals must now demonstrate prolonged interest and membership within approved firearm society to obtain such licenses, with additional clarity on what entails significant historical value for collecting handguns.
Currently, of the 18 recommendations made by the inquiry, 11 have been completed. A new data platform has been developed for monitoring licensed firearm holders, increasing the capability of sharing medical risk-related information effectively between the WA Police and the Department of Health. The sixth recommendation incentivizes daily intelligence searches by police, which aims to identify risks related to firearms ownership proactively.
With the horrifying legacy of these murders echoing widely, the broader Australian community has echoed concerns about the state’s capacity to protect citizens from domestic violence. Ariel Bombara, drawing from her tragic experience, underscored the necessity for these reforms by stating, "This report identifies all the risk factors we communicated to the police.” These sentiments resonate as families across the nation seek assurance from law enforcement about their commitment to personal safety.
Overall, the findings and subsequent changes should serve as catalysts for ensuring greater accountability and enhancing protocols used by police across Australia when managing domestic violence cases. The report starkly highlights the necessity of vigilance and proactive measures to prevent tragically fatal outcomes like this. The Petelczyc family’s story is not just one of heartbreak but also of urgent reforms required within the system to protect others from similar fates.