Wednesday, 15 October 2025

 Steve McGHIE (Melton) (10:04): The Melton community continue to mourn the tragic murders of both Chol Achiek and Dau Akueng that occurred on 6 September. It is hard to put into words the profound impact this horrific event has had, unforgettably on the families of the victims but also on the entire community. Chol did not take life so seriously. He saw the brighter side of life and would love to make those around him laugh. Like Chol, Dau was a guiding light in his father’s life. Dau brought joy to everyone around him and was an extremely talented basketballer who would spend hours on end at the basketball stadium playing, training, refereeing or watching games. He was obsessed with the sport. Chol’s and Dau’s lives were stolen from them. Their families have had a permanent hole ripped through their hearts, and as they try to adapt to life without their beautiful boys, the community will wrap their arms around them.

Almost instantly members of both boys’ families have been working very closely with myself and other integral organisations within Melton, like the Centre for Multicultural Youth, to navigate this path forward. We all need to work together to find local solutions to fight this cancer of youth gang crime. The community are fed up, and rightly so. No-one wants our young people being hacked to death by barbaric criminals. Chol and Dau’s deaths have ignited vital discussions between community leaders and groups and the government. Whether it be sitting down with the families themselves, mothers, fathers, uncles, friends, teachers and just general concerned community members, the sentiment is always the same: we need to work with the community and not against the community. I again thank the Melton police for their efforts and thank the community members who supported the boys on the night of 6 September.