No inquest for knifing deaths
A FORMER Surfers Paradise waitress complained that she had been sexually abused just a day before she was fatally stabbed at a north Queensland hostel, a coroner has found.
Mia Ayliffe-Chung was stabbed repeatedly in the chest in a late-night attack while staying at a Home Hill backpackers in August 2016. Fellow backpacker Thomas Jackson was also killed when he tried to help her.
Ms Ayliffe-Chung had worked at Gold Coast venue The Bedroom just days before she died. Alleged attacker Smail Ayad, a French backpacker, had the charges against him dropped after it was determined he was not of sound mind at the time.
In her findings on Wednesday, Coroner Nerida Wilson said she would not be holding an inquest into the pair’s death.
The decision comes despite pressure from Ms Ayliffe-Chung’s and Mr Jackson’s families to hold a coronial investigation. The findings also revealed someone, whose name was redacted, had reported Ms AyliffeChung had made complaints about Ayad, with whom she was sharing a room.
“I remember that Mia told me there was a guy in her room that was getting too close to her physically by touching her, and was verbally harassing her,” the witness said.
“Mia said he was saying things like that ‘he wanted her to be his girlfriend’ and that ‘he wanted sex from her’.
I didn’t know who the male was that she was referring to at this point.”
The witness said Ms Ayliffe-Chung told her Ayad would follow her around.
The operators of the backpackers said they had not heard her make any complaints about Ayad, but other backpackers reported that Ayad made sexual comments about Ms Ayliffe-Chung.
The pair had not met until Ms Ayliffe-Chung was placed in a room with Ayad at the backpackers days earlier.
In her findings, Ms Wilson made special mention of Mr Jackson and another backpacker, Daniel Richards, who came to Ms Ayliffe-Chung’s aid during the attack.
“Both Mr Jackson and Mr Richards exhibited extraordinary bravery and compassion remaining with Mia and rendering assistance whilst their own safety was still at risk,” she said.
“Mia and Thomas were in the prime of their life and enjoying a carefree experience in a country that is by all standards otherwise considered safe. Their life, and their death, touched many.”
Ms Wilson said many of the witnesses had dispersed across the globe.
“An inquest will not yield further meaningful information that will assist me to either arrive at a different conclusion, or to make recommendations to prevent similar deaths from happening in the future,” she said.
Ayad has been in a mental health facility in Australia and is expected to be returned to France, where he will be admitted to another mental health facility.