Floreat murders: Ariel Bombara reveals hearing dad Mark murder Jennifer and Gretl Petelczyc

The daughter of a man who murdered two women in Floreat before turning the gun on himself has spoken of the chilling moment she heard the killings on the phone. Ariel Bombara made the revelation in an impassioned address to WA’s March Against Domestic and Family Violence in Perth’s Forrest Place on Monday, her first public comments since speaking out about the double murder-suicide in May. She spoke of her upbringing surrounding by domestic violence, a quest to be believed by police and her deep survivor’s guilt. Her father Mark Bombara shot dead his ex-wife’s best friend Jennifer Petelczyc and her 18-year-old daughter Gretl in their home before turning the gun on himself. In the days after their deaths, Ms Bombara bravely released a powerful statement in which she said she had raised the alarm with police on three separate occasions about her father but was ignored. She told the rally that she and her mother had been “stressed and malnourished” on the run for eight weeks in a “terrifying game of cat and mouse”. “Six months ago, my mum and I picked up the keys to our new rental apartment. It was a breath of fresh air and a sigh of intense relief,” she said, recalling who they had dragged their belongings in suitcases and garbage bags to find safety. “When we stepped into that new rental, it felt like the first glimpse of life at the end of his very dark tunnel.” She told the crowd they had just started unpacking at their rental when they received a harrowing call from Ms Petelczyc. “We heard Jenny saying, ‘Mark, put the gun away’,” she said. “I remember the ice-cold shot of adrenaline and the sound that escaped my mouth akin to that of someone whose been kicked in the gut. “I frantically called triple zero as mum continued to listen to what was going on in Jenny’s house. While speaking to the police, I heard mum scream and then she was wailing. “The last thing Mum heard was two gunshots before the phone went dead.” Ms Bombara said that while trying to warn police and get help, they were “gaslit, told we were overreacting, crazy, that our father would never physically hurt us”. “The system doesn’t protect us and puts the onus on women to manage men’s behavior rather than holding perpetrators accountable,” she said. “We often questioned our sanity but I remained adamant that my father was dangerous and I would do anything to keep him away from us. “For the rest of my life, I’ll question every decision I made from the point of convincing mum to leave because it wasn’t safe. “Wondering what more I could have done to stop him knowing two lives were taken instead of my own and my mum’s because I was too good at hiding from him and hating myself for never considering that he could kill other people if he couldn’t find us. “We weren’t the ones to pick up that gun, yet we must leave the rest of our lives paying for his crime. “I believe that we as a collective have the power to make a real difference. But to do so we need to believe in victim survivors.” Ms Bombara’s statement earlier in 2024 sparked an internal investigation by police. Police Commissioner Col Blanch has said that he was open to making the report public but it was up to the families involved. Ms Bombara described her late father as a “master manipulator” and “dictator” who made her mother a “slave” for 35 years. She also described the ongoing coercive control her mother experienced — from unwanted sexual advances, controlling money, degrading comments, isolation, and nit-picking her every move. “I fought for eight weeks against every person who tried to convince us we were overreacting,” she said. “The people who said ‘oh, he doesn’t rape you or hit you so it can’t be that bad’. All I can ask is, ‘do you believe me now?’” Ms Bombara said she has since felt an “overwhelming sense of duty” to prevent a similar scenario. Among the speakers at the event, which kickstarts 16 Days In WA, was Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Sabine Winton. In an interview with The West Australian, published on Monday, Ms Winton called for WA parents to step up and take responsibility for speaking to their children about toxic behaviours. The former teacher and mother-of-three said the rise of social media had amplified problematic views towards women — a significant cause of family violence — meaning parents needed to be aware of what their children were seeing and teach them how to call out bad behaviour. Premier Roger Cook was not at the rally due to a clash with meetings but said on Sunday that the prevention of FDV was a “top priority” of his Government. Other parliamentarians in attendance included Liberal leader Libby Mettam, Nationals MP and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Peter Rundle, WA Attorney-General John Quigley, Police Minister Paul Papalia and Training Minister Simone McGurk — who was also WA’s first Prevention of FDV Minister. The event honoured those killed because of FDV, as well as support for victims, their families and those living in fear across the State. Monday, November 25 — which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women — marks the start of the United Nation’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which ends on Human Rights Day on December 10. In Australia, one in three women have experienced gender-based violence. If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, phone 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Crisis Care Helpline on 1800 199 008 Men’s Domestic Violence Helpline: 1800 000 599