Seven teenagers have been charged with murder after the stabbing deaths of 15-year-old Dau Akueng and 12-year-old Chol Achiek in Cobblebank in Melbourne’s west earlier this month.
The seven males, aged between 15 and 19, were arrested on Friday morning after raids on homes in Melbourne’s north and west by homicide squad detectives. They were interviewed by police before charges were laid in the afternoon.
A 19-year-old Thornhill man, a 16-year-old Sunbury boy, a 16-year-old Sydenham boy and a 15-year-old Hillside boy were charged with the murder of Dau.
A 19-year-old Caroline Springs man, an 18-year-old Wollert man and a 16-year-old Sydenham boy were charged with the murder of Chol.
The three adults, Prince Conteh, 19, Peter Addo, 18, and Abel Sorzor, 19, all faced Melbourne magistrates court on Friday.
They were remanded in custody and will return to court on 12 December.
The four underage accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at a children’s court on Friday.
The boys did not apply for bail and were remanded in custody before their next appearance on 18 February after prosecutors asked for 16 weeks for police to compile their evidence.
The magistrate granted the timeline, noting the “complexity of the investigations” with the number of accused.
Lawyers for several of the accused said the boys held safety concerns regarding a unit within youth detention and one had nut allergies and needed medication for asthma.
Before they were led away, the magistrate explained to each of the four accused boys the process before their next court appearance.
“Police have asked for some time to prepare evidence. These include statements, videos, it could be a lot of info ... it could take time,” he told one of the boys.
Dau and Chol were walking home from a basketball game on 6 September when they were allegedly attacked on separate streets in Cobblebank, in the city’s west, by masked assailants armed with machetes and long-edged weapons.
Emergency services responded to calls shortly before 8pm on the night following reports that two children had been fatally injured.
They were located on adjacent streets, after members of the public rushed to help. Both children died at the scene.
The assistant commissioner of crime command, Martin O’Brien, on Friday said the pair’s devastated families were grieving their loss and the things they would never see their children experience.
“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,” he said in a statement.
“Two children walking home after playing sport, who should have had decades of their lives ahead of them.”
O’Brien acknowledged many people were “feeling shocked, frustrated and concerned”.
“Finally, our thoughts are with the Akeung and Achiek families and we will continue to ensure all available support services remain in place at this difficult time,” he said.
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Chol’s father, Chuti Ngong, described his son as a “lovely” and “peaceful boy” at a candlelight vigil last week.
“He loved everybody – loved all the family, siblings, everybody,” he said.
Terry Koumides, who met Dau in 2020 through a youth basketball program, described him as “a sweet kid”.
“He was a contributor, he was well mannered,” he said. “He was polite.”
Manny Hendrix, Dau’s basketball coach, said he had dreams of playing for the NBA. “Basketball was his life,” he said.
Since the deaths a “significant investigation” by the homicide squad has been under way to “collect all available evidence”, police said on Friday.
Police had also increased patrols in Cobblebank as part of community reassurance efforts, and met with schools, council and community leaders.
