THE heartbroken parents of Matilda Britvan, the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach massacre, have spoken out at a candlelit vigil.
Matilda was just 10 years old when she was shot in the stomach in front of her six-year-old sister.
She had been celebrating Hanukkah with her parents Michael and Valentyna on Bondi Beach, Sydney, when the attack began.
Naveed and Sajid Akram were named as the suspects thought to be responsible for killing 15 people in the massacre which targeted the Jewish community on December 14.
Michael and Valentyna spoke out about the tragedy for the first time today, December 16, addressing a candlelit vigil for the victims.
Speaking through tears, the 10-year-old’s father described Matilda as “the most kindest person, child ever”.
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He told the crowd how he had named his daughter to honour Australia, after the family had moved to the country from Ukraine.
He said: “I named her Matilda because she was our first Australian.
“We came here from Ukraine and Matilda was my firstborn in Australia.
“I thought that Matilda is the most Australian name that can ever exist.”
Clutching a photo of his daughter, Michael implored onlookers to “remember the name, remember her”.
Matilda’s mother Valentyna called her daughter’s killing a “nightmare”.
She said: “I’m Matilda’s mum. As Michael said, we came from Ukraine. I brought from Ukraine my oldest son and I was so happy he’s not there right now.
“He’s not fighting for his land and he’s safe here.
“And I couldn’t imagine I would lose my daughter here.”
Valentyna told the crowd that the shooter specifically targeted Matilda.
She said: “I can’t imagine what monster could stand on that bridge and see a little girl crying for her father to hide with him, and he just pulled his trigger on her.
“It wasn’t just a bullet from a spray, it wasn’t an accident, it was a bullet just fired on her.”
Matilda’s brother made an emotional speech, telling the crowd that the 10-year-old “knew she was loved”
He said: “The one thing that brings me comfort now, is that whenever I would ask Matilda if she knew that I loved her, she would immediately say yes.”
Her family laid her shoes, flowers and a photo of the 10-year-old at the vigil, where the sea of flowers was so large that mourners had to queue to lay their bouquets.
Matilda’s aunt Lina Chernykh said her niece would not be remembered for the horrific way she died but for the smile she had worn at a petting zoo for children at the Hanukkah party.
Chernykh told The Telegraph: “I was just thinking it can’t be true.
“She was playing with the animals, and now she’s gone.”
The youngest victim of the Sydney shooting had been rushed to hospital after her sister and family saw her get shot in the stomach.
Chernykh told the Daily Mail that Matilda’s sister Summerwho was uninjured, kept asking the gut-wrenching question: “Is my sister dead?”
The 10-year-old’s aunt said the the family thought Matilda had been shot in the leg at first – and they were expecting her to survive.
She said: “I thought she might lose her leg, people can live without legs and I thought I’d push her around in a wheelchair if she needed – whatever happened, we’d look after her.”
Lina said she couldn’t stop screaming when Matilda’s mother to tell her that the 10-year-old had died in hospital.
She was so shocked she couldn’t even comprehend the information.
She said: “I asked her to tell me again and again, and I was saying ‘it can’t be, it’s not real.’
“I still can’t believe it’s real – I’m hoping I will wake up and someone will tell me it isn’t true.”
Other victims of the attack include Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, who leaves behind five children – his youngest son was only born in October this year.
His cousin Rabbi Zalman Lewis described him as a “truly an incredible guy”.
Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman was killed while protecting his wife of 57 years, Larisa.
New South Wales premier Chris Minns said the victims are aged between 10 and 87 years old.
A Sydney Anglican minister, Mark Leach, whose family is Jewish, gave a passionate speech at the vigil.
He said: “I want to say to all the Jewish people here, as a Christian Australian, we are so sorry that we allowed this country to become a place where you would be slaughtered.
“Forgive us. You are a tiny, tiny minority, and the majority of this country has allowed this to happen, and we beg your forgiveness.
“But the fight against antisemitism is not yours to win. You cannot win it. You are too small. It is a fight for all of Australia to win.”
Rabbi Motti Feldman told the crowd the Jewish community “will not be silenced”.
He said: “Hatred must be extinguished, hate in all of its forms, and that is the message of the chanukia, the menorah, the candles that we light on this Jewish festival, which they tried to extinguish.
“They tried to extinguish it before it even began… but we refuse to stop lighting that candelabra. We will increase in light.”
It comes as the surviving suspect Naveed Akram has woken from a coma and is being questioned by police in hospital.
His father, Sajid Akram, was shot dead at the scene after a brave local hero tackled him to the ground and grabbed his gun.