Oceania

They investigate whether the death of two Saudi sisters in Australia is related to their sexual orientation

DNA analysis resolves two femicides that occurred more than 30 years ago

Published:

5 Aug 2022 04:25 GMT

“They should have been safe in Australia,” said a woman who met the girls at a queer event.

The authorities of New South Wales (Australia) are investigating whether the strange death of two sisters, from Saudi Arabia and found dead on June 7 in their beds in an apartment in Sydney, had something to do with their sexual orientation.

The deceased are Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, who fled together in 2017 to Australia to seek asylum. They had been dead for more than a month at the time they were found.

After no signs of forced entry to the apartment or injuries to the women’s bodies were observed, the Police admitted that they have not been able to determine the cause of their deaths.

The sisters reportedly didn’t lead very social lives in Australia, but earlier this year they reportedly attended an all-girls queer event, where they met a woman who now shares her experience on condition of anonymity.

“I noticed they kept to themselves in a corner. They looked shy, so I went over and started talking to them,” the woman told Guardian. “They mentioned that they were from Saudi Arabia and we talked about what it’s like to be queer there. They said that women live in fear for their safety and that they were grateful to live in Australia where they could express themselves more freely.”

The woman concluded by saying that the “terribly sad” thing about this case is that the sisters told her that they were excited to be at an event like this and that they “were ready to start exploring more Sydney”, something that they never fulfilled.

“They should have been safe in Australia,” the interviewee stressed.

For its part, the Police have assured that “the investigation is ongoing” and that they are still awaiting “any information regarding the death of the two women.”

Source link