Fears grow for missing Melbourne woman Maryam Hamka
The family of Maryam Hamka are hoping for closure as hopes fade for the Melbourne woman who disappeared more than three weeks ago.
Police & Courts
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Desperate loved ones of missing Brunswick woman Maryam Hamka remain in the dark about her mystery disappearance.
Hopes are quickly fading for good news as it has been more than three weeks since Ms Hamka, 36, was last seen leaving her Barkly Street home on April 10.
“I hope we get closure soon,” sister Amel Hamka said.
“We will never give up hope that will find her and we will get justice.
“It’s so hard to hear your own flesh and blood is a victim of homicide.
“You hear about these things and it breaks your heart but when it happens to someone close to you, it is like a nightmare.
“Our family is broken, this has affected us all so much. We are all numb.”
Ms Hamka left home with a bag of clothes as she was picked up by boyfriend Toby Loughnane.
Her mother Susan had begged her not to leave with Loughnane, 45, due to fears for her daughter’s safety. Maryam was captured later that day on CCTV footage about 5.30pm at the Albert Street Woolworths in Brunswick.
Since then she has vanished without a trace, while detectives methodically scour through hours of CCTV footage from neighbouring businesses, hoping to uncover fresh clues about where she may have gone.
On Friday Mr Loughnane faced court over alleged “acts of violence” on Ms Hamka.
The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard he was under investigation by the homicide squad into the disappearance of Ms Hamka earlier this month. But neither he — nor anyone else — has been charged with her suspected murder.
Amel Hamka added her sister “endured months of mental, psychical and emotional abuse” from Mr Loughnane, whom she described as a “weak coward scumbag”.
“He will get his day, every dog gets his day,” Amel Hamka said.
Friend Pamela Wilson has been regularly sharing reports and articles about Maryam.
“Someone has to know something,” Ms Wilson said. “We need to bring her home.”
Mr Loughnane, 45, from Brighton, fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court was before the court over attacks on Ms Hamka in December.
He is charged with intentionally cause injury, recklessly cause injury, aggravated assault on a female and commit an indictable offence while on bail.
Details of the allegations against him were not aired in court.
The Herald Sun joined other media agencies in applying for the charge sheets, commonly released by the court especially in matters of high public interest, to be able to report accurately on the alleged offending.
But defence barrister Sam Norton successfully argued any release of information to the media could prejudice his client in the future if he was charged over Ms Hamka’s disappearance.
“There is an ongoing homicide investigation into Mr Loughnane ... those materials should not be released,” Mr Norton said.
“Publication of these charges of alleged acts of violence towards a victim of an alleged homicide”, Mr Norton said, would be prejudice to his client.
“The charges include charges of violent offending against (Ms Hamka),” he said.
“The indications that have been published in the media, and the indications of the police, is the investigation is ongoing and nearing a conclusion.”
“So the victim in these assaults is deceased?” magistrate Mia Stylianou asked.
“Missing is the position of the homicide squad,” Mr Norton said. “Hence the fairly significant media interest in this matter.”
Ms Hamka has not been seen — nor accessed her bank account or social media — since leaving her family’s Barkly Street home in Brunswick on April 10.
Her family told police she walked out with a bag of clothes and was picked up by Mr Loughnane.
Ms Hamka was captured later that day on CCTV footage about 5.30pm at the Albert Street Woolworths in Brunswick.
Mr Loughnane made no application for bail, and will remain behind bars until his case returns to court on June 4.
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