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A request that this article title be changed to Murder of Aiia Maasarwe is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed.

On 16 January 2019, Aiia Maasarwe, a Palestinian exchange student studying at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia was killed as she returned home from an evening at a comedy club in North Melbourne. The violent, random nature of the killing sparked renewed community concern about the safety of women, especially after dark in Melbourne. Parallels were drawn to the murders of Eurydice Dixon, Jill Meagher and Masa Vukotic.

Background

Maasarwe was from Baqa al-Gharbiyye, Israel and was studying at Shanghai University. She was in Melbourne as part of a student exchange program with La Trobe University, and was undertaking a business degree and had planned to work at her father's business in China. Maasarwe was a Palestinian Arab of Israeli citizenship.

Death

Victorian police believe Maasarwe was attacked some time after midnight on 16 January, around 50 metres from a tram stop on the corner of Plenty Road and Main Drive in the suburb of Bundoora. Maasarwe had been returning home after attending an event at a comedy club in North Melbourne and was on a video call with her sister.

Maasarwe's body was discovered around 7 am in shrubbery near the carpark of Polaris 3083 shopping centre by maintenance workers. Items of clothing, suspected to belong to her killer, were found within 100 metres of her body. Some of Maasarwe's belongings were found in a nearby dog park.

Police stated they believed the crime was committed by an "opportunistic" attacker. Police also believed the attacker may have been left injured.

On 18 January, 20-year-old Codey Herrmann was arrested in Pioneer Reserve, a park in the nearby suburb of Greensborough. Hermann was an unemployed vagrant. The following day he was charged with Maasarwe's rape and murder. He appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court and was remanded in custody.

On 21 January the family received the body of Maasarwe from the coroner. In the suburb of South Dandenong at the Albanian Sakie Islamic Centre, family gathered for the Janazah (Islamic funeral rites) and prayer service for Maasarwe and thereafter return to Israel on Tuesday with her body.

Reactions

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, in a statement condemning the killing, said that "sexist attitudes in our society" needed to change to end the problem of violence against women in Australia. Andrews stated that "Victorians are united in sadness. In anger that this bright young woman’s life was taken from her. I hope we are also united in determination. That we can – and must – end this culture of violence against women."

References

1. Bedo, Stephanie. "Why we need to get Aiia Maasarwe's identity right". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
2. Khalik, Jennine (20 January 2019). "'An angel, a diamond': Aiia Maasarwe's Palestinian identity was erased after her death". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
3. Cunningham, Melissa; Precel, Nicole (18 January 2019). "Police trawl CCTV footage from tram, nightspot in bid to spot Aiia Maasarwe's killer". The Age. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
4. Tennison, Ryan; Fagan, Josh; Buttler, Mark (17 January 2019). "Woman's killer could have stalked her from Bundoora tram stop". News.com.au. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
5. Reuters; Khoury, Jack (17 January 2019). "Australian Police: Slain Israeli Woman Was on the Phone With Her Sister at Time of Murder". Retrieved 20 January 2019 – via Haaretz. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
6. Wahlquist, Calla (18 January 2019). "Aiia Maasarwe: 20-year-old Melbourne man arrested over Bundoora death". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
7. Pearson, Erin; Boseley, Matilda; Hinchliffe, Joe (19 January 2019). "Codey Herrmann faces court charged with rape and murder of Aiia Maasarwe". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
8. https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/police-rule-out-theory-aiia-was-stalked-as-man-charged-with-her-murder/news-story/e2fb35c1a8ea31558e6910e232403315
9. "Police rule out theory Aiia was stalked as man charged". Herald Sun. Retrieved 21 January 2019. Mr Herrmann, 20, an unemployed itinerant, was yesterday charged
10. "Codey Herrmann, 20, charged with murder over death of Aiia Maasarwe". ABC News. 19 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
11. ^ Oaten, James; Younger, Emma (21 January 2019). "Aiia Maasarwe's family prepare to return her body from Melbourne to Israel". ABC News. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
12. Cunningham, Melissa (18 January 2019). "Politicians condemn 'tragic, despicable' killing of Aiia Maasarwe". The Age. Retrieved 18 January 2019.

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