Aiia Maasarwe’s family leave The Project panel in tears after interview about her life and death

Aiia’s father, Saeed (pictured) spoke of the trauma of losing his daughter 

The Project panel were reduced to tears on Thursday night after an emotionally charged interview with the family of murdered international student Aiia Maasarwe. 

Ms Maasarwe, 21, was brutally raped and murdered by Codey Herrmann as she was walking home from a tram in Bundoora, Melbourne, on January 16.

Aiia’s father, Saeed, publicly forgave Herrmann during an interview with Lisa Wilkinson when discussing the 36 year sentence he received for his crimes. 

‘We don’t hate the people, we never hate the people, we wish the people just the good,’ Mr Maasarwe said.

‘Even for him we wish to be normal and to be positive people, we don’t want anyone to be in the situation.’

Before his sentence, Herrmann penned a letter to Ms Maasarwe’s family, begging them to not ‘give in to hate like I did’.

Aiia Maasarwe, 21, was beaten with a metal pole, raped, murdered, and set on fire with a barbecue lighter and WD-40 in January this year

Aiia Maasarwe, 21, was beaten with a metal pole, raped, murdered, and set on fire with a barbecue lighter and WD-40 in January this year 

Hosts on The Project were reduced to tears on Thursday night after an emotionally charged interview with the family of murdered international student Aiia Maasarwe

Hosts on The Project were reduced to tears on Thursday night after an emotionally charged interview with the family of murdered international student Aiia Maasarwe

But Aiia’s sister Noor said its not as simple as ‘forgiving and forgetting’ for her.

‘I’m very angry actually, you can’t just forgive him,’ she said.

‘She was a very big part of my life, she wasn’t only my sister, she was my best friend, and she was also my dreams, and now I have to do all of that on my own, to accomplish my dream and her dreams as well.’

Saeed, who flew in from Israel for the sentencing, wept at the thought that his daughter’s killer could walk free in as little as 30 years.

‘I don’t know, after (30 years)… he can go continue his life as normal. How he can do that?’ he asked.

Codey Herrmann (pictured), 21, was sentenced to 36 years behind bars with a non-parole period of 30 years in the Victorian Supreme Court

Codey Herrmann (pictured), 21, was sentenced to 36 years behind bars with a non-parole period of 30 years in the Victorian Supreme Court

Aiia's father, Saeed (right), publicly forgave Herrmann during an interview with Lisa Wilkinson when discussing the 36 year sentence he received for his crimes (pictured during the interview)

Aiia’s father, Saeed (right), publicly forgave Herrmann during an interview with Lisa Wilkinson when discussing the 36 year sentence he received for his crimes (pictured during the interview)

Mr Maasarwe called on the government to crack down on violence with tougher sentencing for perpetrators.

‘Safety is very simple. I want to send a message: Don’t let people think they can do like this, that they can take the life of another.’

After the interview aired, panelists Tommy Little and Rachel Corbett were quite visibly moved, wiping away tears.

‘It’s really impossible to say anything that means anything after viewing that, but I think it’s fair to say that we all just feel so terribly sorry,’ Hamish Macdonald said. 

Wilkinson added that she felt as though ‘we didn’t keep her safe’ while she was living in Australia to further her education. 

Tommy Little appeared emotional after the segment

Rachel Corbett appeared emotional after the segment

After the interview aired, panelists Tommy Little (left) and Rachel Corbett (right) were quite visibly moved, wiping away tears

Mr Maasarwe said he will remember his daughter as a happy, caring soul. 

‘She looked at the people, doesn’t matter which village, which nation, which colour, what is your mind … with the same eyes. This was Aiia. She liked all the people, all the humans, doesn’t matter where and when. This is how I want to remember her.’

Herrmann pleaded guilty to raping and murdering Ms Maasarwe earlier this year.

Ms Maasarwe had just stepped off the tram when she called her sister Ruba.

Ruba had only just picked up the phone when she heard a blood-curdling scream and her sister shouting: ‘You piece of s***’,’ in Arabic. 

The drug-user bashed Ms Maasarwe over the head with a metal pole, before dragging her into nearby bushes where he raped her.

Aiia's sister Noor (pictured) told The Project she wouldn't be able to forgive her sister's killer

Aiia’s sister Noor (pictured) told The Project she wouldn’t be able to forgive her sister’s killer

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk