Laa Chol murder: Second boy charged over teenager’s Melbourne death

A second teenager has been charged over the death of 19-year-old Laa Chol at an out-of-control party in a Melbourne CBD apartment.

A boy, 16, was charged on Wednesday with being an accessory to murder and assault, two days after police charged a 17-year-old Sunshine North boy with Ms Chol’s murder.

The 16-year-old from the western suburb of Truganina is in police custody and will appear at the children’s court at an undisclosed date.

Laa Chol died after she was assaulted at a party she attended on the 56th floor of the EQ Tower on A’Beckett Street in Melbourne in the early hours of Saturday.

Police believe she was attacked amid a dispute involving two groups of party-goers, including one that hired the short-term stay apartment and another that arrived later.

 

A second teenager has been charged with the murder of Kenyan-born Laa Chol (pictured) who was protecting her friend from gatecrashers when she was stabbed in the stomach

According to Esta Quirino, one of the girls inside the apartment, things turned ugly when a 'gang' of 'aggressive African and Caucasian men' turned up uninvited

According to Esta Quirino, one of the girls inside the apartment, things turned ugly when a ‘gang’ of ‘aggressive African and Caucasian men’ turned up uninvited

It was revealed by friends that Ms Chol was protecting the birthday girl from gatecrashers when she was stabbed in the stomach.

Kenyan-born Chol was with a group of seven or eight friends celebrating a girls’ night birthday party at a rental flat in Melbourne’s CBD at 5am on Saturday.

According to Esta Quirino, one of the girls inside the apartment, things turned ugly when a ‘gang’ of ‘aggressive African and Caucasian men’ turned up uninvited. 

Police charged a 17-year-old boy with murder on Monday night after homicide squad detectives spent hours interviewing him following his arrest in the afternoon

Police charged a 17-year-old boy with murder on Monday night after homicide squad detectives spent hours interviewing him following his arrest in the afternoon

She told the The Herald Sun the incident escalated when Ms Chol saw the birthday girl getting upset and bravely confronted the group, telling them to leave.

Ms Chol was allegedly stabbed in the stomach with a pocket knife before the group of ‘cowardly’ men fled the 56th floor apartment of the EQ Tower.

Police charged a 17-year-old boy with murder on Monday night after homicide squad detectives spent hours interviewing him following his arrest in the afternoon.  

The accused murderer was remanded in custody and will appear in a children’s court on Tuesday. 

Miss Chol's mother Ojwanga Abalo (left) said she 'loved everyone,' adding: 'I miss my daughter.'

Miss Chol died on Friday night

Ms Chol’s mother Ojwanga Abalo (left) said she ‘loved everyone,’ adding: ‘I miss my daughter.’ Right: Ms Chol

Ms Quirino said she was devastated when she learned her friend had died after paramedics were unable to revive her at the scene.

Speaking to the Herald Sun, she said Ms Chol had politely told the gatecrashers they weren’t welcome because they were upsetting the birthday girl.  

‘She would always back anyone up if she sees wrong. And for standing up for others this is what she got in return … death,’ Ms Quirino told the publication.

Ms Quirino also paid tribute to her friend of six years, describing Ms Chol as a ‘beautiful girl, filled with happiness’. 

 Police arrested a 17-year-old boy on Monday afternoon over Ms Chol's (pictured) death

 Police arrested a 17-year-old boy on Monday afternoon over Ms Chol’s (pictured) death

 A friend described Ms Chol (pictured) as a 'beautiful girl, filled with happiness'

 A friend described Ms Chol (pictured) as a ‘beautiful girl, filled with happiness’

On Sunday night, Ms Chol’s shattered mother Ojwanga Abalo said the teenager ‘loved everyone,’ adding: ‘I miss my daughter’. 

‘Just whenever you saw her, it was a happy moment. There were no sad moments,’ she told the Herald Sun. 

‘She helped me with everything… I don’t know what I’m going to do without her,’ she added. 

Ms Chol’s cousin Nyawie Dau, who moved with her to Australia in 2005, also urged police to find the culprits and lock them up.

‘We need justice for Laa. They need to find whoever did this,’ Ms Dau said. 

Ms Chol, a talented soccer player, was due to take the field on Sunday night for local team Skye United in a crunch match against Monbulk Rangers.

Neighbours heard wailing coming from her home in Pakenham, south-east Melbourne as family and friends struggled to come to terms with her death.

Friends have remembered Laa Chol, 19, as a quiet person as they grieved her violent death on Saturday morning

Friends have remembered Laa Chol, 19, as a quiet person as they grieved her violent death on Saturday morning

Ms Chol was partying at a $125-a-night apartment on the 56th floor of a block with a group of young African-Australians in their late teens and early 20s.

A second group crashed the party and a fight broke out, leading to Ms Chol’s stabbing around 5am.

A police spokesman said detectives ‘do not believe the second group was invited by either the person who booked the apartment, or the deceased.’

About 12 people are assisting police with their inquiries.

Ms Chol died from what Victoria Police Commander Tim Hansen called ‘assault related injuries’.

‘My understanding is this wasn’t a random attack,’ he told reporters. 

‘There’s no sign of forced entry but we’re trying to clarify what brought [the second group] there.’ 

It is understood Ms Chol was attending a party at the EQ Tower (pictured) when a second group crashed the event

It is understood Ms Chol was attending a party at the EQ Tower (pictured) when a second group crashed the event

Ms Chol died after a fight broke out between two groups of African-Australians in the early hours of Saturday morning in Melbourne's city centre

Ms Chol died after a fight broke out between two groups of African-Australians in the early hours of Saturday morning in Melbourne’s city centre

Ms Chol, who worked part-time at KFC, was treated at the EQ Tower residential building by paramedics but died from her injuries.

A resident of the building told the Herald Sun she heard prolonged and ‘horrendous’ screams. 

‘It went on for about 20 minutes,’ the woman said.  

‘You couldn’t hear anything but this horrendous screaming… I just thought they were drunk.

‘They were shouting and screaming and the girl’s scream was incredibly loud … just screeching.’

It comes after the Homes Affairs Minister released a statement calling for a crackdown on Sudanese gangs in the wake of the death.

Victoria has a 'major law and order problem' with Sudanese gangs, Peter Dutton (pictured) has said

Victoria has a ‘major law and order problem’ with Sudanese gangs, Peter Dutton (pictured) has said

‘This is a tragic and needless loss of a young life,’ he said.

‘There is a major law and order problem in Victoria and more people are going to be hurt until the rule of law is enforced by the Victorian Government.

‘We don’t have these problems with Sudanese gangs in NSW or Queensland.’

Mr Dutton accused Victorian Premier Dan Andrews of failing to acknowledge the issue of Sudanese gangs.

‘He is out of touch and more people will get hurt or worse until the problem is fixed,’ he said.

He urged Mr Andrews to change Victoria’s bail laws which he described as ‘pathetic.’

Ms Chol, who worked part-time in KFC and played women's soccer for a local team, was treated at the EQ Tower residential building by paramedics but died from her injuries 

Ms Chol, who worked part-time in KFC and played women’s soccer for a local team, was treated at the EQ Tower residential building by paramedics but died from her injuries 

 

Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk