‘Still feeling very numb’: Grieving father responds after murder charges over deaths of two boys

A father shed tears of relief when seven people were charged with the “senseless” murder of two boys in Melbourne’s west.

Chuti Ngong was standing at the funeral home where the body of his beloved 12-year-old son Chol Achiek lies just hours after news broke of Friday’s arrests.

After almost two weeks of uncertainty and devastation, the father said he now had hope that somebody may be held responsible for Chol’s death, who was ambushed while waiting for his mother to pick him up from basketball earlier this month.

“I’m still feeling very numb,” Ngong said. “For our family, the most important thing is the consequences they will face because of what they have done.”

Ngong said he was at the funeral home to view his son’s body with family and make preparations for the funeral next week.

“We want to be close to him,” he said.

“I miss his smile the most. The way he talked to me. He was my best friend. He was the best friend to our whole family. Life is very stressful now. It is very, very difficult.”

Chol and his friend Dau Akueng, 15, were fatally stabbed in Cobblebank, near Melton, just before 8pm on September 6. The two boys died within 150 metres of each other.

Police at the time described the scene as one of the worst knife crimes they had seen.

A 19-year-old Caroline Springs man, an 18-year-old Wollert man and a 16-year-old boy have been charged with the murder of Chol.

A 19-year-old Thornhill man, two 16-year-old males, and a 15-year-old boy were charged with the murder of Dau.

The three adults charged with murder, Prince Conteh, Peter Addo and Abel Sorzor, faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday and were remanded in custody. The four teenagers faced a children’s court and will appear again at a later date.

In the days after his son’s death, Ngong, who fled his homeland of South Sudan, said:“We came here, from war, for our children to have a better life. Now you regret coming. Children are the root of the tree. Without them, your life is uprooted.”

Police said both boys “were bravely assisted by members of the public” before they died at the scene.

The two boys have been remembered as bright, beloved members of their community, talented basketballers and promising young leaders.

Chol is believed to be the youngest victim so far of Melbourne’s youth gang crisis, which The Age has linked to more than 20 homicides in the past five years.

Ngong remembered his “intelligent, funny, peaceful boy” as a natural leader who “looked after everybody”.

Elbino Akueng, the father of Dau, was at his job as a security guard when he heard news that two children had been killed. “I protect people where I work, but no one protects my family at home,” he said in the days after his son’s death.

On Friday, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Martin O’Brien said the investigation into the deaths was ongoing.

“The word ‘senseless’ has been used so many times already in relation to the deaths of Dau Akueng and Chol Achiek, because the reality is that it doesn’t make sense. Two children walking home after playing sport, who should have had decades of their lives ahead of them,” he said.

“Instead, their devastated families are grieving their loss and all the things they will never get to see two children grow up to achieve and experience.”

O’Brien said the complex investigation was led by the homicide squad and detectives have worked for two weeks to try and identify those involved.

“Any incident that is so significantly violent that it results in the loss of a life is a concern for police. The impacts of these deaths, in particular Dau and Chol’s, are felt right through our communities – from the families who have lost their loved one, through to the loss of safety that many people feel as a result, even when they don’t know those involved.”

He said that police had increased patrols in the area, were working with local community groups, and would continue to ensure the families were supported.

“I’d also like to acknowledge the members of the public who assisted both boys following the attacks, most likely without knowing whether their own safety was at risk,” he said.

After the murders of the two boys, Detective Inspector Graham Banks broke ranks to say existing penalties for youth offenders did not reflect community expectations.

Banks said that rising crime in Victoria was not just a policing problem, and strong deterrents were needed.

“Whether that balance is right is really a matter for the community and the courts and ultimately the government,” he said.

“But as I stand here before you, I think the penalties aren’t in balance with what community expectations are or mine.”

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