Coroner’s directions hearing set for mysterious death of Elly Warren in Africa

The family of a young Melbourne woman who died in mysterious circumstances in Mozambique could get answers on her death.

Elly Warren died mysteriously in Mozambique in November 2016. Picture: Supplied

The grieving family of young Melbourne woman Elly Warren, who died in mysterious circumstances in Mozambique four years ago, are set to finally get answers to her death.

Elly’s father, Paul Warren — who travelled to Tofo on a personal investigative mission last year and is convinced his daughter was murdered — said a Victorian Coroner’s Court directions hearing had been set for December 17.

He said he was confident an inquest would follow, which would reveal the truth about Elly’s death.

A Coroner’s Court spokeswoman yesterday confirmed a hearing would be held “for the investigation into the death of Elly Warren” next month.

Mr Warren said the family was lobbying for a new federal agency to be established, which supported people whose loved ones were killed overseas.

Mr Warren says he has proof his daughter was murdered.

“We’re pushing the Government to set up an independent team, to look after people whose loved ones have been murdered overseas because it’s really not good enough the way it is,” Mr Warren said.

He said his own experience of trying to have his 20 year-old daughter’s death in Africa fully investigated had been both frustrating and distressing.

He said he had spent the last four years “gathering proof” Elly was attacked and killed in the idyllic Mozambique beach town, and her murder covered up.

Mr Warren said he now had “70 pages of evidence”, as well as videos and recordings from his own investigations, which he would make available to the Coroner’s Court.

Much of it was from his dangerous, solo mission to Tofo last year.

Elly’s lifeless body was found face down in the sand, with her bikini bottoms around her ankles, behind a Tofo toilet block in the early hours of November 9, 2016.

She had been volunteering on a marine conservation project and enjoying the holiday of a lifetime before her death.

Multiple forensic examinations revealed the fit and healthy aspiring marine biologist died from asphyxia, after inhaling sand into her lower airways, and had no drugs in her system.

Paul Warren in Tofo, Mozambique where his daughter Elly Warren was found dead

Abrasions were found on her neck, and also bruising on her mouth and in the muscles on the left-hand side of her neck, but there were no clear signs of a struggle or attack, and no tests for semen were carried out.

African authorities have claimed it is possible Elly fell forward into the sand when affected by alcohol and later died.

But the Herald Sun’sown investigations have revealed there is a history of vicious assaults in Tofo, including a violent attack on a UK woman by a drunk Tofo policeman, near the place Elly was found dead.

Scottish mum of two Sarah Hayrikyan said a policeman followed her from a bar in the early hours of the morning, grabbed her, poked a baton into her back, twisted her arm and threatened to rape and kill her.

Fortunately she managed to break free and get help.

Photos show Ms Hayrikyan — who was 21 years old when the assault occurred in June 2010 — looked very similar to 20 year-old Elly Warren.

Elly Warren had also been at a Tofo bar in the hours before her death, where her friends say she had been drinking and dancing.

In a document, viewed by the Herald Sun, one of the first people to see Elly dead is reported as saying her mouth appeared “packed with sand”, and that Tofo police, on arrival, “bumbled through the scene, essentially removing all of the evidence which was there”.

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