Mother hands baby over to stranger after being stabbed in Australia

Critically wounded in a Sydney shopping centre, Ashlee Good handed over her nine-month-old baby to two strangers who saved her before she took her last breath.

On the afternoon of April 13, Joel Cauchi, 40 years old, entered the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping center in Sydney with a knife and indiscriminately attacked shoppers, killing 6 people and injuring 8 others.

The victims were mostly women, including Ashlee Good, 38, who was stabbed while shopping with her nine-month-old daughter Harriet. Harriet was also stabbed multiple times by the suspect.

Before taking his last breath, Good handed his baby over to two strangers in the mall, begging them to save the child's life.

"The baby was injured, Good was also stabbed. She ran towards me with the baby and handed it to us. The baby was in a bad condition," said one man. He and his brother held the baby, got shirts from a nearby store and tried to stop the bleeding for the mother and child while waiting for an ambulance.

Good slowly collapsed in a pool of blood and died later, while Harriet was out of danger after hours of surgery. Good's final act moved the Australian people.

Ashlee Good holds her child on the streets of Australia. Photo: SMH — Ashlee Good holds her child on the streets of Australia. Photo: *SMH*

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Good, calling her a "hero mother" who embodied the extraordinary spirit of mothers.

As she broke down, Sky News reporter Laura Jayes broke down in tears on air, describing the 38-year-old mother as an extraordinary person. "Good is a mother in the prime of her life, having just given birth to a nine-month-old baby," Jayes said.

In a statement to the media, the Good family expressed gratitude to the two men who cared for and protected baby Harriet.

Ashlee Good holds her child at a beach in Australia. Photo: SMH — Ashlee Good holds her child at a beach in Australia. Photo: *SMH*

Australian police believe stabbing suspect Joel Cauchi did not have a terrorist motive. Cauchi had mental health issues and appeared to have chosen his victims at random. The suspect was shot dead at the scene by a female police officer.

Prime Minister Albanese sent his condolences to the victims and their families, and praised the bravery of many civilians involved in the attack.

As Cauchi went on a stabbing rampage, a young man in a white shirt fought back on the escalator. Business owners were ready to open their doors to let shoppers take shelter from the attacker.

"Images like this show that Australians always help each other in danger. These people have shown the bravery of Australians in the midst of tragedy," Mr Albanese said.

Duc Trung (According to AFP, Sydney Morning Herald )

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