The families of two Melbourne teenagers who died after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos have criticized the AU$185 (roughly $176 CAD) fines received by staff members who served the deadly drinks.
Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, 19, died after they were served tainted alcohol laced with methanol on the Nana Backpacker Hostel in November 2024, a part of a mass poisoning that also killed two Danish women, a U.S. tourist and a British woman.
The 2 19-year-old Australian women fell in poor health following an evening out drinking with a gaggle and failed to envision out from the Nana Backpacker Hostel as planned. The ladies were found sick of their room after which taken to Thailand for emergency treatment, where each died in hospital.
Thai authorities confirmed that Jones had died by “brain swelling resulting from high levels of methanol present in her system.”
The ladies’s fathers, Shaun Bowles and Mark Jones, said they were uninformed concerning the court case involving the hostel staff, which took place on the People’s Court of Vang Vieng in Laos.
They were a part of a gaggle chat with the families of the victims that provided them with updates and that’s how they learned 10 people connected to the hostel faced a judge in late January.
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Those 10 people were fined the AU$185 each and given a suspended sentence for destroying evidence, 9News reports.
“We were shocked by absolutely the injustice for our girls and the others,” Jones said. “We now have had no correspondence with anyone from the Laos government. We had no idea the court case was going ahead.
“To think that the Laos authorities consider that those that were involved in killing our daughters is price $185 is totally disgraceful.”
The fathers initially thought the court case was linked to the deaths of their daughters, however the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that the charge for destruction of evidence was linked to the death of the American tourist.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Department of Foreign Affairs has been in communication with the Bowles and Jones families.
“I actually have made it clear to my Lao counterpart that Australia expects full accountability,” Wong said in an announcement. “I actually have also made it clear that charges should reflect the seriousness of the tragedy which left six people dead, including Holly and Bianca.”
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware that the Vang Vieng District Court sentenced individuals over the destruction of evidence in relation to the death of a US citizen,” Wong said. “We proceed to press Lao authorities on the cases regarding Holly and Bianca’s deaths, and we’ll proceed to support Holly and Bianca’s families at this distressing time.”
Bowles and Jones called on the Australian government to step in and help get justice for the death of their daughters.
“As residents of this country we expect the federal government to take care of their people and get justice for his or her residents after they go travelling,” Jones said.
“We are able to’t get into the country. There’s nothing more we will do. We’d like the federal government to do something because we’re out of options,” Bowles added.
The Australian prime minister said the federal government would do all the things it could to support the families of Bowles and Jones.
“The foreign minister has made it clear to her counterpart in Laos that Australia expects full accountability and the costs should reflect the devastating seriousness of this incident. We’ll proceed to interact Laos authorities on these cases,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during query time in a day by day parliamentary session with members of Parliament on Monday.
In November 2024, Canada issued a travel advisory after the six tourists, mostly aged 19 to twenty, died from methanol poisoning in the favored backpacker town in northern Laos.
“Several foreigners in Vang Vieng have been victims of suspected methanol-adulterated alcohol poisoning,” the warning read. “Be vigilant should you decide to drink alcohol. Avoid accepting free or extremely low-priced drinks. Only buy alcohol in sealed bottles and cans from reputable shops. Seek medical assistance should you begin to feel sick.”
Methanol is a transparent, colourless alcohol utilized in all types of on a regular basis products like industrial cleaners, solvents, paint, cosmetics and anti-freeze. Methanol is toxic and deadly when consumed.
Methanol is typically added to mixed drinks at disreputable bars as a less expensive alternative to ethanol, but could cause severe poisoning or death. Additionally it is a byproduct of poorly distilled homebrew liquor and will have found its way into bar drinks inadvertently.
— With files from The Associated Press
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