Murdered British backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung’s poignant post on racial divides

BEFORE she was killed, British backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung made a defiant stand against racism that is even more affecting in light of her tragic death.

British backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung was allegedly stabbed to death by a 29-year-old Frenchman in Queensland.

THE British backpacker stabbed to death in Queensland by a frenzied knifeman posted a poignant message on Facebook about racial divides before she died.

Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, wrote about her experiences of racism and xenophobia in a touching comment after she received online abuse after June’s Brexit vote.

The young woman, from Wirksworth in Derbyshire, was living on the Gold Coast when she made the defiant stand against discrimination.

She called out the troll who branded her “f***ing cross bread scum [sic]” who was the “reason ppl voted to leave”, writing: “This is what I was brought up around, because I have a Asian last name or darker skin. Having to convince people that think you don’t belong in the place you call home is tiring.

“What makes it sad is it’s something I’m scared is not going to change in time for my own children or my nieces and nephews.

“To find out my niece’s teacher asks people to call her ‘C’ instead of ‘chung’ so she doesn’t get teased or my nephew doesn’t like being more tanned than the other children breaks my heart because it means it’s repeating itself.

“All I say is stand your ground. This is your home, do not let ANYONE tell you otherwise.”

Police yesterday arrested a 29-year-old French traveller in relation to her murder in Home Hill, south of Townsville. He was named by media as Smail Ayad, with reports he shouted “Allahu Akbar!” (“God is great” in Arabic) during the attack and as he was detained.

The 21-year-old’s heartfelt post after she received online abuse after the Brexit.

Her brave comments came in response to this racist comment.

The alleged offender was reportedly obsessed with Ms Ayliffe-Chung and had told other backpackers the pair were married and deeply in love.

Her deeply affecting Facebook post was shared by Marcus V Crivellaro today following the violent death.

He addressed her online abuser, saying: “If you have read or watched the news today you might even have heard about her, maybe you felt sorry for her without remembering you insulted her treating her like the scum she wasn’t.

“She was a smart, passionate, caring, beautiful girl, she didn’t deserve such a stupid, unfair pointless end and she didn’t deserve your unjustified, pointless insults. No one does. It’s very sad, hopelessly sad, that you think you can call someone names so lightheartedly, as if what you say has no consequences.

Smail Ayad was arrested at the scene for the alleged stabbing at a hostel complex in Home Hill, Queensland.

Ms Ayliffe-Chung’s alleged killer reportedly shouted Arabic phrase ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is great) during the attack.

“I’d like you to try think this: you insulted a wonderful young girl who now is dead without reason.”

Another user, Jacky Rodriguez, posted: “Wow.. all of it just .. wow. You are a gifted writer, Marco, and this is an unbearably sad story. Maybe that man will read your words and take this to heart and think about the power of words.”

Back in June, Ms Ayliffe-Chung’s mother Rosie Ayliffe commented on her post that she had reported the abuse to the police, who were calling it a hate crime.

The heartbroken parent cannot help her child now, instead posting a touching tribute to her “sassy, clever and kind” daughter overnight.

The pair’s social media interactions show they enjoyed a close relationship, with Ms Ayliffe commenting on her daughter’s Facebook page just days before her death, “Love you all around the world and back again … (Wish I’d never said that when you were little, look what happened!)”