The man accused of carrying out the deadly Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack is reportedly exchanging letters with a female prisoner while awaiting trial. Naveed Akram, 24, is the prime suspect in the December 14 massacre that claimed 16 lives, including a 10-year-old girl and a Holocaust survivor.
Letter from Female Inmate
According to the Australian Daily Telegraph, Akram has received at least one letter from a woman incarcerated in a separate women's prison. Prison sources have reportedly joked about the correspondence, referring to it as a 'pen pal' relationship. One source indicated that the tone of the letter was not romantic. New South Wales Corrective Services declined to comment on individual inmates, but prisoners are generally permitted to send and receive letters, including with other inmates, as long as the content is not abusive, offensive, threatening, or indecent.
Akram's Background
Akram, who is from Bonnyrigg in Sydney, is being held in the high-security unit at Goulburn prison, located about 124 miles outside Sydney. He is charged with multiple counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack, among other offenses. His father, Sajid Akram, 50, who was also a suspected gunman, was shot and killed by police at the scene.
In the hours before the attack, Akram reportedly told his mother, Verena, that he was going on a fishing trip with his father. Ms. Akram said she could not identify her son from photos taken at the scene. She described him as a quiet person who did not drink, smoke, or socialize, adding, 'He goes to work, he comes home, he goes to exercise, and that's it.'
National Mourning and Victims
Australia observed a national day of mourning in January, with a sea of candles honoring the victims. Among those killed was Rabbi Eli Schlander, a key organizer of the Hanukkah event who grew up in north London. Another victim was Alex Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor who shielded his wife during the shooting. The couple, who had been married for 57 years, survived the Nazi genocide and later moved to Australia from Ukraine. The youngest victim was 10-year-old Matilda, described by her family as a girl who spread happiness wherever she went.
