A Sydney University student claims he received “thousands” of messages after being wrongly identified as the knifeman behind a horrific attack that claimed the lives of six innocent shoppers.
Ben Cohen, 20, a first-year computer science student at the University of Technology, was falsely accused online of stabbing shoppers at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday afternoon.
NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley has since identified Joel Cauchi, a 40-year-old Queensland man, as the man who attacked the shoppers with a knife.
The name “Benjamin Cohen” became popular on X – formerly known as Twitter – just hours after the stabbings, with more than 50,000 messages mentioning his name.
Mr. Cohen called the Internet sleuths’ accusations “very dangerous,” stressing that they could “destroy people’s lives.”
Ben Cohen (pictured) has been wrongly identified by internet detectives as the knifeman behind the Bondi Junction Westfield attack.
The knifeman (pictured during the attack) has since been identified by police as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi.
Mr Cohen’s father Mark said the family, who live together in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, were “freaked out” by the shocking allegations.
“I think they just went for the first face that looked similar and fit their own motivations or what they wanted the story to be,” Mark told news.com.au.
“They don’t realize how much harm they can do.” I’ve worked in tech my whole life, my wife is a teacher. We’re just a very normal family.
Mark added that the vicious rumors had even reached Mr Cohen’s extended family, with those close to him calling to find out if they were true.
“Everyone is wondering what’s going on, people are wondering if it’s true. Of course that’s not true, he’s not even a politically motivated person. He’s just a normal kid who now has to deal with this,” he said.
Hours before police held a press conference and revealed Cauchi was the knifeman, Mark had gone to X to clear his son’s name.
“Hey NSW Police, you need to release the name of the Bondi Junction attacker before this nonsense claiming it was my son causes more harm,” he wrote.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mark Cohen for comment.
Among those killed was Ashlee Good, a 38-year-old mother, who was the first to be targeted by Cauchi alongside her nine-month-old granddaughter, Harriet.
The baby remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition after undergoing surgery.
Six innocent shoppers, including the mother of an injured nine-month-old baby, died following the horror stabbing attack on Saturday afternoon (pictured, witnesses speaking to a police officer at the scene)
Their heartbroken family shared a statement Sunday morning.
“Today we are in shock at the terrible loss of Ashlee, a magnificent mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, exceptional human and so much more,” it read.
“We appreciate the wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our little girl.
“We are very grateful for the expert care and attention of the medical team at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
“We would also like to thank the NSW Police for their kindness and diligence in dealing with this tragedy, and the emergency services for getting our baby the care she needed as quickly as possible.”
“To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee couldn’t, words cannot express our gratitude.”
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