History behind shocking Sefton Plaza stabbing and kidnapping revealed in court documents exposing Zai family’s bitter feud

She was tracked, then kidnapped, restrained and stabbed – in broad daylight and in front of shocked onlookers – by her own family, all because of religion. Here’s why.

Domestic, intimate partner and family violence are among the biggest issues facing Australian society today.

Now imagine that it was not just one person you love subjecting you to near-fatal violence, but every member of your family – parents and siblings alike.

That is the traumatic reality for one South Australian woman known, in order to ensure her safety, by the identity “Lour Zai”.

She was kidnapped, restrained and stabbed – in broad daylight and in front of shocked onlookers – by her own family, all because of religion.

Her parents, brothers, sister and brother-in-law will face the Supreme Court – meaning the full story behind their crimes can be revealed.

WHO ARE THE ZAI FAMILY?

Khour, Ror and Walleda Zai family at the Adelaide Magistrate Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire

There are seven members of the Afghani family involved in the events leading up to, and falling out from, November 30, 2021.

The Supreme Court has suppressed their identities and, using their native Pashto language, refers to them as the “Zai” family.

The Advertiser has adopted this practice, using Pashto words for familial relationships to identify each member as:

LOUR ZAI, the victim, who had been promised in marriage to her cousin since she was a teenager but fell in love with a Christian man, referred to as “Katalan”.

PLAR ZAI, the father, who pleaded guilty to aggravated causing serious harm with intent to cause serious harm and false imprisonment.

WALLEDA ZAI, the mother, who pleaded guilty to aggravated causing harm with intent to cause harm and false imprisonment.

KHOUR ZAI, the sister, who pleaded guilty to aggravated causing harm with intent to cause harm and false imprisonment.

AKH-KHI ZAI, the brother-in-law, who pleaded guilty to aggravated causing harm with intent to cause harm and false imprisonment.

ZOWEE ZAI, the brother, who pleaded guilty to aggravated serious criminal trespass, aggravated causing harm with intent to cause harm and false imprisonment.

ROR ZAI, the younger brother, who pleaded guilty to aggravated serious criminal trespass.

SA Police arrest one of the male members of the Zai family following Lour’s stabbing. Picture: 9News

WHO ARE THE PASHTUN PEOPLE?

Pashtuns are a nomadic ethnic group residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan, and northwestern Pakistan, with a culture and history dating back to 1200BC.

Their total global population is estimated to be 49 million, spread between 350 to 400 different tribes and clans.

They speak the Pashto language, and some Pashtuns live by a “code of life” called Pashtunwali, which predates the Islamic faith.

The code promotes self-respect, independence, justice, hospitality, love, forgiveness, tolerance and courage.

Other core principles include respect for family members and in the home, and defending “the honour of women” from “every harm” and “at all costs”.

Pashtunwali also allows adherents to “seek justice or take revenge” against “wrongdoers” and, according to scholars, vendettas are common and long-lasting.

Australia has a Pashtun population of around 81,000 people.

WHAT LED UP TO THIS CRIME?

A case summary statement, filed with the Supreme Court by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, together with multiple court hearings, reveal the incident’s history.

The Zais all lived in the same area in the northern suburbs.

In mid-2021, Walleda, Khour and Ror became aware that Lour was involved in a relationship with Katalan, a Christian man from Sri Lanka.

They did not approve of the relationship, believing “dishonour had been brought upon the family” and insisting she marry a cousin, to whom she was promised as a teenager.

Ror then installed a tracking app on Lour’s phone, without her knowledge, so the family could monitor her movements.

Eventually, Lour discovered the app and deleted it – upon learning of this, Walleda charged Ror with the responsibility of “keeping an eye” on his sister.

On November 28, 2021, Lour and Katalan were involved in a verbal confrontation with Walleda, Khour and Ror.

As a result of this incident, Lour did not return to the northern suburbs that night, and did not reply to their phone calls or text messages.

That night, Ror and Zowee armed themselves with knuckledusters and staged a home invasion of a property where, they believed, Katalan lived.

They assaulted the occupant inside, demanding to know “where is our sister?” – but had entered the wrong house and harmed an innocent, unconnected man.

HOW DID THIS CRIME OCCUR?

Those same court documents also reveal how the crimes played out.

On November 29, the Zais repeatedly and unsuccessfully attempted to contact Lour.

On the morning of November 30, Lour contacted Walleda and agreed to meet her to collect some belongings – but only in the company of a mutual friend, to ensure her safety.

The agreed meeting place was a bus stop at the front of the Sefton Plaza shopping centre.

Walleda and the friend drove to that location – followed, unknown to Lour and the mutual friend, by a second car containing Plar, Khour, Akh-Khi and Zowee.

Ror was not present.

When the parties met, Walleda and Khour grabbed Lour by the arms and Zowee assisted in restraining her.

Lour yelled out “leave me alone” but one of her family members put their hand over her mouth to silence her.

Akh-Khi and Plar then rushed toward the group.

Plar – who was armed with a 15cm knife – stabbed Lour twice in the abdomen while Walleda and Khour held her by the arms.

The Zais who were present forced Lour into the rear passenger seat of the second car, and Walleda and Khour sat on either side of her while Zowee drove to their parents’ home.

As Lour was bleeding from her stab wounds, Zowee chastised her over her relationship with Katalan while Walleda and Khour repeatedly hit her and pulled her hair.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

At the house, Walleda and Khour dragged Lour inside, dumped her in the shower and turned on the water.

No one in the family called an ambulance, nor sought medical assistance for Lour despite the obvious severity of her injuries.

The knife had perforated one of her kidneys, lacerated her liver and caused significant internal bleeding.

Only Zowee’s wife, who was not involved in the crime nor accused of any wrongdoing, realised her sister-in-law’s distress.

She attempted to assist Lour by stanching her wounds with a cloth.

SA Police, who had been alerted to the incident, arrived shortly after and Lour was conveyed to hospital with severe blood loss and life-threatening injuries.

After Lour was taken away, the Zais drained all but 17 cents from her bank account.

An SA Police bodycam captured Plar and Walleda discussing the stabbing in Pashto – Ror stopped them, telling Plar “if you don’t say anything, everything will be okay”.

Plar, Zowee and Ror were arrested immediately, with Walleda, Khour and Akh-Khi joining them in custody the next day.

Ror was charged over the alleged home invasion, while the rest of the family was charged with kidnapping and attempting to murder Lour.

They spent several months behind bars due to Lour’s fear of them if released.

Khour Zai outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Waleeda Zai outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire

WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN COURT SO FAR?

In February 2022, Walleda claimed, in court, she had been trying to prevent the stabbing and suffered “a bloody hand” in the incident.

Walleda further claimed she had “bundled” Lour into the car to drive her away from Plar, and had placed her in the shower to protect her from Plar, Zowee and Ror.

Prosecutors, however, said those claims were untrue – and alleged Walleda had directed Zowee and Ror to commit the earlier home invasion, issuing instructions from outside.

A month later, Plar offered to plead guilty – but only to an unspecified lesser charge, and only so long as the rest of his family were released.

Prosecutors rejected that offer.

Walleda was granted bail in April 2022, followed by Khour and Ror – all were banned from communicating with one another and from going within 250m of Lour and Katalan.

In September 2022, the Zais pleaded not guilty to their respective charges and were ordered to stand trial.

That prompted an internal dispute between family members as to whether they should face a jury or a judge alone.

Despite having played no role in the kidnapping itself, Ror was ordered to stand trial alongside them – with prosecutors alleging he verbally threatened to kill Katalan.

Zowee made one last bid for bail in February 2023, which floundered when the court heard he previously been accused of assaulting both his wife and Walleda.

On September 22, 2023 – and on the eve of their trial – the family pleaded guilty to lesser charges in a deal with prosecutors.

The attempted murder charges were dropped as a result.

Their pleas spared Lour a lengthy trial that would have involved multiple interpreters translating, in real time, the evidence from English to Pashto.

It now falls to Justice Sandi McDonald to sentence them for their roles in the incident.

Whatever penalties Her Honour imposes, it is possible Plar, Walleda, Kour, Akh-Khi, Zowee and Ror will face deportation upon the conclusion of their non-parole periods.

Ror Zai outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire

WHY CAN’T WE KNOW THE FAMILY’S IDENTITIES?

Under Section 69A of the Evidence Act, courts may suppress any information if doing so will spare a child, witness or victim from suffering undue harm.

Prosecutors asked the court to suppress Lour Zai’s true identity, saying the trauma caused to her by publicity surrounding her case was unique.

“This is very significant and serious offending on the complainant and carries with it not only the stigma of being a victim of a serious crime but a victim at the hands of the entirety of her family,” Michael Foundas, prosecuting, said.

“That already carries with it a significant trauma in my submission and to have that then more publicly put out in the community is something that she will have to carry with her through her employment and the rest of her life.

“That will only add to the burden of the trauma that she suffered as a result of this offending.”

Justice McDonald agreed, but named the family “Zai” in public court documents and permitted reporting of their relationships, culture, religion and background.

She said that would satisfy “the public interest in open justice” while also sparing Lour “the undue hardship” of having the broader community know her identity.