Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe, who was raped and killed in Australia, mourned by thousands at funeral in her hometown
- The student was attacked while she was talking to her sister on the phone on the way home from a show
- Australian police have charged a 20-year-old suspect
Thousands of mourners attended the funeral on Wednesday of Aya Maasarwe, an Arab Israeli student killed in Australia, in her hometown in northern Israel.
The 21-year-old was raped and murdered in Melbourne shortly after midnight last Wednesday when she was on her way home from a comedy show. Her body was found by passers-by in bushes near a tram stop.
Police in Australia, who have described the attack as “horrific”, have arrested and charged a suspect, 20-year-old Codey Herrmann, with her rape and murder.
The murder of Maasarwe, who had been studying in Australia for a year, shocked the country and sparked a huge outpouring of grief that saw thousands attend vigils in her memory.
“I appreciate the support of all these people, in the whole world and also in my town,” said her father, Saeed Maasarwe, with Australia’s ambassador to Israel, Chris Cannan, by his side.