Australian Suicide Bomber Jake Bilardi Had Psychological Issues In Childhood, Father Claims

Australian extremist Jake Bilardi was psychologically disturbed and aggressive in his childhood. His father John Bilardi revealed details of his radicalised son who had been killed in a suicide attack in Iraq.

John said that his son had given threats to him as well as his former wife when he was as young as six years old. The father said that Jake had weapons when he threatened them. He revealed that the Australian teenager had hurt himself as well.

John said in an interview on Sunday that once his wife had called out to him screaming. When he rushed into the room, he found that six-year-old Jake cornered her with a pair of scissors. The father added that his son was “incredibly” strong even at such a young age. John said that he had eventually managed to take the scissors from Jake’s hand and give him a bear hug.

The Australian suicide bomber was allegedly killed in the Middle East earlier in March while fighting for Islamic State forces. It was reportedly carried out a series of suicide attacks in the Iraqi city of Ramadi. Dozens got injured in the attacks while at least 17 people got killed.

It was the first time since his death that his father spoke publicly about the radicalised young man. The father blamed himself for the actions of his deceased son. The father said that militant forces had used his son for their own cause. John described his son as a lonely and shy boy. He blamed himself for ignoring Jake’s psychological issues during his childhood. "The buck stops with me," he said. "I knew something wasn't right."

The Melbourne schoolboy was the youngest of John’s six children. John said that his child did not fit in. the father said that little Jake had craved attention and had several violent outbursts. John said that he had lost contact with all of his six children after having a troubled divorce. However, when Jake’s mother passed away, John got in touch with him once again.

Jake grew up as an atheist. However, he later converted to Islam. He was soon self-radicalised while watching IS propaganda videos on his laptop.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au