THE ACT’s chief psychiatrist will undertake a review into the individual circumstances surrounding the man charged with allegedly stabbing two female students and assaulting two males at the ANU campus this week.
Alex Ophel, 24, is charged with two counts of attempted murder over the incidents at the Australian National University on Monday, along with two counts of assault and one count of possessing an object to be used to kill.
Ophel was remanded to re-appear in court on October 17, by which time a mental health assessment will be undertaken.
Subject to the outcomes of the chief psychiatrist’s review and any recommendations for systemic change, the ACT government says it will convene a dedicated working group to provide advice on matters that arise.
Given the ongoing criminal investigations and proceedings, as well as laws that prohibit the disclosure of personal medical information, the government says it is limited in what information can be made public. However, it says it will inform the community about aspects of the incident when it can.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr met with ANU Vice-Chancellor Brian Schmidt on Wednesday morning and offered support to the university.
“Canberra is a safe city, and incidents like this are rare,” the government says.
“The government would like to reassure students and staff at ANU that there is no ongoing threat to their safety and they should feel confident to move around the campus.”
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