Sydney siege survivors: Who were the hostages? - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)Sydney siege survivors: Who were the hostages? - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)



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Sydney siege survivors: Who were the hostages?
      By the National Reporting Team's Elise Worthington

      Updated 
    
      December 18, 2014 02:42:05
    





Map: 
        Sydney 2000


Man Haron Monis, an Iranian-born cleric on bail for a string of violent offences, held a total of 17 people hostage in the Lindt Chocolate Cafe in central Sydney.Two hostages - cafe manager Tori Johnson, 34, and barrister Katrina Dawson, 38 - were killed, as was the gunman himself.Here's what we know about some of the other 15 hostages who were caught up in the ordeal but survived.John O'Brien



Video: Hostage speaks about Sydney siege ordeal

(ABC News)
 John O'Brien, 82, says that during the siege Man Haron Monis demanded that he lie on the floor.But Mr O'Brien refused and told his captor that he was too old to lie on the floor.Mr O'Brien says he has never felt as much relief as he did when he "turned that corner and saw the armed police waiting for me".Stefan Balafoutis



        Photo:
       Stefan Balafoutis (R) and John O'Brien run for cover behind a policeman during a hostage siege in the central business district of Sydney on December 15, 2014. (AFP: William West)
 Stefan Balafoutis, a Sydney lawyer, escaped from the cafe along with John O'Brien and cafe worker Paolo Vassallo just after 3.30pm (AEDT) on Monday.Mr Balafoutis works at nearby Corrs Chambers Westgarth in their commercial litigation and trade practices groups.Elly Chen



        Photo:
       Elly Chen is a university student and worker at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Sydney's CBD. (Facebook)
 



        Photo:
       Elly Chen ran from the Lindt cafe into the arms of police officers at the scene.  (AFP: Saeed Khan)
 Elly Chen was a staff member at the Lindt cafe and was in the second group of hostages to escape from the cafe on Monday afternoon.Her social media accounts state she is a University of NSW student studying a Bachelor of Commerce.Jieun Bae



        Photo:
Jieun Bae runs towards a police officer after fleeing the Lindt chocolate cafe, where she and 16 others were held hostage. (Reuters: Jason Reed)
 Jieun Bae worked at the Lindt cafe and escaped with her colleague Elly Chen about 5.00pm on Monday afternoon.The look of terror on her face was captured on camera as news of the siege spread around the world.The 20-year-old told SBS news that she thought she "would die in there" and she "can't believe what happened to [her boss] Tori [Johnson]."Marcia Mikhael



        Photo:
       Mother of three Marcia Mikhael, 43, was carried out of the Lindt cafe by police. It is believed she is being treated at the Royal North Shore Hospital for a gunshot wound to the leg.  Marcia Mikhael, a 43-year-old mother of three and Westpac employee, was carried out of the Lindt cafe by police.It is believed she is being treated at the Royal North Shore Hospital for a gunshot wound to the leg and is in a stable condition.Marcia appeared in one of the hostage videos uploaded on Monday night during the siege. She also released a message on social media during the siege asking for the demands of the hostage taker to be met.Many of her family members live in Ontario, Canada.Julie Taylor



        Photo:
       Julie Taylor (at rear), Harriette Denny (left), Viswakanth Ankireddy (in white shirt) and another hostage flee the Lindt Chocolate Cafe. (Getty Images: Joosep Martinson)
 Julie Taylor is a barrister at Eight Selborne Chambers and a colleague of Katrina Dawson, who died in the Martin Place siege.It is understood Ms Taylor was at the cafe with Ms Dawson.Ms Taylor appeared in one of the hostage videos uploaded during the siege.Harriette Denny



        Photo:
       Harriette Denny is a worker at the Lindt cafe. Ms Denny's Sunshine Coast family has told the ABC she is tired and relieved but also distressed that duty manager Tori Johnson did not make it out.  (Facebook)
 Harriette Denny, 30, worked at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe and ran from the building with five other hostages just before police launched their assault.Her father, Robert Denny, said his family spent an anxious night watching the events unfold on television but had since spoken with his daughter."She's OK, she's tired, she's relieved," he said, adding she was distressed that duty manager Tori Johnson did not make it out.Viswakanth Ankireddy



        Photo:
       Viswakanth Ankireddy, an Indian IT worker, was caught up in the Sydney siege. (Facebook)
 Indian IT company Infosys released a statement late yesterday saying one of its employees was among the hostages at the Lindt cafe in Sydney.The statement said family members of the employee had been informed and the company was extending all possible support to them.Joel Herat



        Photo:
       Joel Herat, who is thought to work at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe, was one of the hostages caught up in the Sydney siege. (Facebook)
 Hostage videos appeared on a YouTube account in the name of Joel Herat late last night before they were taken down by YouTube.Mr Herat was a staff member at the cafe.Paolo Vassallo



        Photo:
       Paolo Vassallo, the supervisor at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe, was caught up as a hostage in the deadly siege in the Sydney CBD. (Facebook)
 Paolo Vassallo, a married father of three, worked at the cafe and was one of the first hostages to escape on Monday afternoon.He was reunited with family members after being taken to hospital for observation last night because of a pre-existing condition.Fiona Ma



        Photo:
       Lindt cafe worker Fiona Ma, who was caught up in the deadly siege in Martin Place, in Sydney's CBD. (Facebook)
 Fiona Ma is a student at the University of Queensland in Brisbane but was working at the Lindt cafe while back in Sydney on the summer uni holidays.She posted to her Facebook page after the incident to reassure her friends: "I'm getting your messages everyone!! Thank you, you beautiful souls."Guys, I love each and every one of you."Jarrod Hoffman



        Photo:
       Jarrod Hoffman, who is a worker at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe, and was caught up in the deadly siege in Sydney's CBD. (Facebook)
 Jarrod Hoffman, a 19-year-old University of Technology, Sydney student, worked part-time at the Lindt cafe.Friends have told the ABC he was one of the last to leave the cafe and was taken to hospital on Tuesday morning.Puspendu Ghosh



        Photo:
       Puspendu Ghosh, a Westpac project manager who was taken hostage in the Lindt cafe siege. (Facebook)
 IT manager Puspendu Ghosh was one of four Westpac workers taken hostage at the Lindt cafe.He escaped in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with police escorting him from the scene.Westpac CEO Gail Kelly said: "My heart goes out to anyone touched by this tragedy."Selina Win Pe



        Photo:
       Selina Win Pe one of the hostages held in the Sydney cafe siege. Selina Win Pe was one of four Westpac workers caught up in the siege.She was also one of four hostages forced to record video messages at the request of their captor on Monday night as he struggled to get the attention of authorities and have his demands met.Ms Win Pe attends St Peters Anglican Church at Cremorne. The church and her family have asked for privacy.

Topics:
police-sieges,


	
	crime,


	
	sydney-2000


    First posted 
    
      December 16, 2014 18:01:05
    




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