Teen arrested over death of Laa Chol in Melbourne Airbnb

17-year-old youth was has been charged with the murder of a young South Sudanese woman Laa Chol.

Laa Chol died from serious injuries sustained at a Melbourne CBD party. Picture: Instagram

17-year-old youth was last night charged with the murder of a young South Sudanese woman, as a senior officer said her death was not linked to gangs or warring ­factions.

The 17-year-old from Sunshine North will today ­appear in the Melbourne Children’s Court, charged over the death of 19-year-old Laa Chol, who died from injuries sustained after an out-of-control party in a Melbourne apartment tower on ­Saturday.

The teenager had stepped in to protect an upset friend from a group of unruly gatecrashers,the Herald Sun reported last night.

Ms Chol was celebrating a friend’s 20th birthday when a group of youths gatecrashed a short-term rental apartment on the 56th floor of the EQ Tower about 5am. Ms Chol was allegedly stabbed with a pocket knife after she asked the group to leave.

A police spokeswoman said the 17-year-old was arrested yesterday afternoon.

Police have said both groups of partygoers at the Airbnb apartment were from Melbourne’s ­African-Australian community.

Ms Chol’s death has sent shockwaves through Melbourne’s South Sudanese community, which is already struggling with a months-long youth crime crisis. Victoria Police’s priorities and communities chief, Commander Stuart Bateson, told Melbourne’s 3AW radio yesterday that Ms Chol did not die as a result of a gang fight or warring factions within the South Sudanese community.

“It’s not related to ethnicity; we’ve seen murders occur in similar circumstances ever since I’ve been in the police force,” he said.

“This is not to do with warring factions. The suggestion that Laa Chol, the victim, was a member of a gang is just not true.”

Commander Bateson is the force’s lead liaison with Melbourne’s African communities and it is believed an African-­Australian community taskforce has been involved in the investigation.

“I’ve been speaking to community members all over the weekend and there is widespread grief, and a widespread desire to bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said.

Ms Chol’s death follows months of out-of-control parties at short-term rental properties linked to youths of African ­appearance, which have led to ­assaults but not deaths, until now.

Commander Bateson said Ms Chol’s death came at the worst time for the city’s South Sudanese community, which already felt vilified.

“They feel they are excluded from lots of things because of this feeling everyone is looking at them as if they are a gang and out to assault … and nothing could be further from the truth.”

Friends and family continued to mourn Ms Chol yesterday. ­People from the community visited her family home in Pakenham in Melbourne’s southeast. Her family has declined to talk. Federation of South Sudanese ­Associations chairman Kenyatta Wal said: “We met with the family on Sunday morning … they are from a tribe that mourns very privately. We will respect their wishes not to talk until the mourning ­period is over.”