Codey Herrmann to be sentenced for rape, murder of Aiia Maasarwe in Melbourne
Aiia Maasarwe was attacked by Codey Hermann while walking home from a night out. He raped and killed her before torching her body.
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Codey Herrmann is set to learn how long he’ll spend in jail for the rape and murder of an international student as she walked home through suburban Melbourne.
The killer beat Aiia Maasarwe, 21, over the head with a metal pole at least 13 times, sexually assaulted her, covered her with flammable WD-40 spray and set her on fire at Bundoora on January 16.
The young woman had been speaking by phone to her Israel-based sister while returning from a night out when Herrmann attacked.
Her final words were “you piece of s***” in Arabic.
Prosecutor Patrick Bourke has asked the 21-year-old killer be jailed for life for the “vicious and violent and depraved” attack which showed a “complete and utter disregard for the humanity of the victim”.
But Herrmann’s lawyer has previously told the Supreme Court of Victoria the young man deserved some leniency because he had a personality disorder stemming from a severely traumatic childhood and this had warped his view of the world.
Herrmann may have done a monstrous thing but he was not a monster and had led a life of extraordinary disadvantage, Tim Marsh said.
Ms Maasarwe’s overseas family, including her father Saeed, are expected to attend Tuesday’s court sentencing.
“Our compass is not revenge. I hope justice will take these people (sic) far away from the society,” he said in Melbourne on Sunday.
A university scholarship has been set up to honour Ms Maasarwe, who had been studying at La Trobe when she died.
Originally published as Codey Herrmann to be sentenced for rape, murder of Aiia Maasarwe in Melbourne