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Student Aiia Maasarwe’s killer admits to her rape, murder in Bundoora

The father of a young woman who was raped and murdered after stepping off a Bundoora tram has welcomed her killer’s guilty plea but said “every day hurts” and her killer should be locked up for life.

Aiia Maasarwe was studying in Melbourne when she was brutally attacked.
Aiia Maasarwe was studying in Melbourne when she was brutally attacked.

The grieving father of a young student raped and murdered in Bundoora says her killer should be locked away for life.

Wannabe rapper Codey Herrmann on Friday admitted to raping and murdering international student Aiia Maasarwe, 21, in January.

“The pain he made for us, I can’t explain,” Aiia’s father Saeed told the Herald Sun from Israel on Friday night.

“Every day it hurts. I can’t hug Aiia anymore. I can’t see Aiia anymore. I can’t get Aiia back. I wish no one in the world this pain.”

Codey Herrmann has pleaded guilty to Aiia’s murder. Picture: David Caird
Codey Herrmann has pleaded guilty to Aiia’s murder. Picture: David Caird
Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe. Picture: Instagram
Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe. Picture: Instagram

The Maasarwe family plan to visit Australia later this year so Aiia’s mother and three sisters can see where she was living, meet her friends and see where she spent her last moments.

Aiia’s cousin, Sharef Maasarwe, said from New York that the family was relieved they would be spared a drawn-out trial and the details of the attack.

“It eases the pain a bit to know it’s over,” he said. “There will be no extra pain and suffering. We don’t want all those details.”

Mr Maasarwe said Aiia’s father suffered a recent heart attack and was forced to return home to Israel from China, where he had been working.

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Aiia Maasarwe’s grieving father Saeed at the site of her death earlier this year. Picture: Stuart McEvoy/The Australian
Aiia Maasarwe’s grieving father Saeed at the site of her death earlier this year. Picture: Stuart McEvoy/The Australian
Hundreds mourned at a vigil for Aiia Maasarwe at her school, La Trobe University. Picture: The Australian.
Hundreds mourned at a vigil for Aiia Maasarwe at her school, La Trobe University. Picture: The Australian.

“He’s not doing so well,” he said.

“He had a heart attack two weeks ago due to stress, due to the psychological trauma of what he went through.

“There have been a lot of sleepless nights.”

Saeed Maasarwe said security for young people was an issue around the world and needed to be addressed urgently.

“I don’t want anyone to lose the people they love,” Saeed said.

“We need to improve the security. Where is the mistake in the society that we need to fix?

“I hope anyone can go anywhere they want safely.”

Herrmann, 20, wearing and black and grey jumper appeared before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court via videolink on Friday, showing little ­expression.

Asked by magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz how he pleaded to the January 16 attack, Herrmann replied: ­“I plead guilty”.

Graffiti in Herrmann’s derelict Bundoora home. Picture: Andrew Henshaw
Graffiti in Herrmann’s derelict Bundoora home. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Ms Maasarwe’s body was found in Bundoora, not far from where she got off the Route 86 tram on her way home after a night at a city comedy club. She suffered blunt force trauma.

Ms Maasarwe, a Palestinian Arab of Israeli citizenship, had been in Melbourne only a short time and was speaking on the phone to her overseas-based sister, Noor, when she was attacked.

“She was living a dream in Melbourne, a dream that ended up being worst (sic) than a nightmare,” her sister posted on Instagram, a short time after her death.

The extended family is still in shock over what happened to Ms Maasarwe while she was studying in Melbourne, but has banded together in their grief.

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“They are hanging in there,” her cousin said.

Unemployed Herrmann, who used the stage name McCodez to rap and posted various songs online, was arrested in a park in Greensborough, near where the murder took place.

The matter will go to a directions hearing in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

tamsin.rose@news.com.au

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/student-aiia-maasarwes-killer-admits-to-her-rape-murder-in-bundoora/news-story/4483984e1e3200feb479675e7ca0e0ef