Family of Bondi Beach victim reject Albanese's 'hollow' apology

Published 1 hour ago
Source: 9news.com.au
Family of Bondi Beach victim reject Albanese's 'hollow' apology

The family of a victim killed in the Bondi Beach terrorist attack have labelled Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's apology as "hollow", accusing his government of being too slow to act on antisemitism.

Boris Tetleroyd, 68, was one of 15 people killed in the December 14 attack when the alleged father and son gunmen opened fire.

His niece, Jenny Roytur, has now spoken out to reject Albanese's apology.

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Boris Tetleroyd, 68, was one of 15 people killed in the December 14 attack when the alleged father and son gunmen opened fire.

"Our community has warned our governments time and time again that something is coming, and it came," she told 9News.

"The words mean nothing. They're hollow, and they come over a week late."

Roytur said the prime minister's refusal to hold a federal royal commission and give the victims' families answers is adding to their pain.

"Every single person who was hurt or murdered, all of their blood is on their hands," she said.

"Silence is complacency, and this is where we got to."

Foreign Minister Penny Wong joined Albanese in expressing her regret and apologising.

"I'm desperately sorry for what has occurred in our country and what the Jewish community have experienced," she said in a statement.

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Jenny Roytur

"Of course, always in politics and in life, you always regret what more could have been done. I think we've made that clear. We acted, but we have to do more, and we are."

While her assistant minister, Matt Thistlewaite, added that all of government was sorry.

"Every single member of our government is deeply, deeply sorry for the atrocities that were committed against Australia's Jewish community," he said.

But Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said, "words are not enough".

"The way we honour the victims of this tragedy is by confronting uncomfortable truths and taking action," she said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The Jewish community of NSW holds a vigil for victims and survivors of the Bondi Massacre, one week on, Bondi Beach. Photograph by Edwina Pickles. Dec 21, 2025

The Coalition has been calling for a federal royal commission and proposed their own draft terms of reference to get the ball rolling.

Albanese has repeatedly rejected calls to hold a federal royal commission, saying that there is already a state version, a departmental review and investigation running at the same time.

He said it would delay action and could take years.

"Royal Commissions take years [and] they take even longer to implement the recommendations," Thistlewaite said.

There is no sign that the government will change its stance when it recalls parliament early to implement a series of legislative changes in response to the Bondi attack.

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