Exchange student killed while on phone to her sister
POLICE in Australia are hunting the killer of a 21-year-old exchange student who was attacked in Melbourne while speaking to her sister on a Facetime phone call.
Aiia Maasarwe, an Israeli student who was visiting Melbourne as part of her studies at Shanghai University, had attended a comedy show and was walking from a tram stop to her accommodation in the suburb of Bundoora at about 12.10am on Wednesday morning when she was assaulted.
Police said Ms Maasarwe was talking to her sister, who was overseas, when she was attacked. Ms Maasarwe’s sister tried to call back but was unable to make contact.
“She heard the sound of the phone falling to the ground and heard some voices and that was it,” said Det Insp Andrew Stamper. “This was an absolutely horrendous, horrific attack inflicted on a completely innocent young woman who was a visitor to our city.”
Ms Maasarwe’s body was found at about 7am on Wednesday behind a hedge near a shopping centre. The site has now been filled with floral tributes and cards from the public.
Police found a black baseball cap with “1986” written on the front, and a grey and black T-shirt, which are believed to be linked to the murder.
“Someone in the community knows about this,” said Mr Stamper. “Someone has gone home on Tuesday night, or in the early hours of Wednesday morning, maybe with blood on them, missing items of clothing.”
The killing has revived memories of two other Melbourne murders that led to an outcry about violent attacks against women. Last year, Eurydice Dixon, 22, was killed on her way home from performing a stand-up comedy show, and in 2012 Jill Meagher, a 29-year-old Irish woman, was killed while walking home from a pub.