One of the two police officers killed in a shooting in Victoria’s high country last Tuesday will be farewelled with full police honours at a funeral today.
Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart’s funeral will be held at the Victoria Police Academy in Glen Waverley from 11am, with officers set to form a guard of honour down the road as the Belgian national is taken to his final resting place.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan are expected to attend.
Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart. (Victoria Police)
Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 35, was killed alongside his colleague Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, at a Porepunkah property on August 26 whilst they were serving a warrant.
De Waart had been on secondment to Wangaratta from Melbourne.
The alleged gunman, Dezi Freeman, is still on the run and 450 police officers are searching for him for an eleventh day.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neil Thompson will be farewelled with the same police honours on Monday.
Police Association Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt released a statement honouring de Waart-Hottart ahead of the funeral.
“Six years in a job you love is too short. A life that gave more than it took, to have been ended in such a way, is an indescribable injustice and a tragedy,” Gatt said.
Flowers placed at the Wangaratta Police Station for Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart. 2nd September 2025, The Age news Picture by JOE ARMAO (Joe Armao)
“Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, you wore the uniform with honour and you represented it with kindness, compassion and a just heart.
“To your loving family both here and abroad, we want you to know that your loss is shared by the policing family, colleagues and friends of Vadim and an eternally grateful Victorian community.
“Today we farewell Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, but we will never forget him.”
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