Overview

• Teacher Leanne Lucas told the hearing she was repeatedly stabbed as she tried to usher children to safety and thought, "How much time do I have left? How many can I save before I die?"
• Fellow teacher Heidi Liddle said she hid a girl in a locked toilet as the attacker banged on the door, describing fear that "will live with me for ever."
• Parents recounted children’s bravery, including a girl who let others escape first despite being stabbed and another who grabbed a younger child’s hand and ran from the stairwell crush.
• Families detailed enduring psychological harm, with accounts of daughters unable to sleep alone, freezing at sirens, and parents reliving the day through guilt and fear.
• Phase one of the inquiry, expected to run until November, is examining the perpetrator’s prior contacts with agencies, including reported Prevent referrals, after his conviction and 52‑year minimum life sentence.