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The Australian government says it wants “real charges with teeth” over the fatal methanol poisoning of two teenage travellers in Laos, as authorities prepare to lay lesser charges that have been called “bitterly” disappointing.
Melbourne travellers Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both ۱۹, were backpacking through the south-east Asian nation in late ۲۰۲۴ when they were fatally poisoned with methanol while drinking at Nana backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng.
A British woman, an American man and two Danish women also died in the incident.
Officials in Laos were due to conclude their investigation on Friday, with two offences expected to be laid that carry up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of A$۱,۶۰۰.
Holly’s father, Shaun Bowles, told ۲GB radio he was devastated at the prospect.
He had been briefed on the likely charges and they were not the results his family were looking for.
“It is devastating news to us,” he said.
His understanding was the charges were going to be put against those responsible for making the allegedly tainted vodka.
“We’re still not convinced that they’re the right people,” he said.
“We’ve had so many conflicting stories come out, it’s very hard to pin down who exactly is at fault. But clearly that’s not been the case.”
Bianca’s father, Mark Jones, also decried the charges that are expected to be laid.
“It’s unacceptable that the passing of our daughter, her best friend, Holly, and three other beautiful women’s lives come down to the potential maximum outcome of one year in jail and a $۱,۶۰۰ [fine],” he told ABC TV.
Bianca’s mother, Michelle Jones, said: “It’s like their lives didn’t even matter. We’re just really appalled by it all.”
She warned prospective travellers “don’t go to Laos”, and urged those who do to consume only bottled or canned drinks.
Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said the Australian government was “deeply frustrated and bitterly disappointed”.
In a statement on Friday morning, Wong said the charges “should reflect the gravity of the tragedy”. She confirmed that she and the prime minister were expressing these expectations to their Lao counterparts.
Wong announced that special envoy Pablo Kang, appointed to “explore all avenues to achieve progress in the investigation,” was travelling to Laos on Friday.
Kang will “convey the Australian Government’s objections and reinforce our expectations for an investigation that delivers justice for Holly, Bianca, and the other victims of the methanol poisoning”.
Wong said she will personally press the issue next week at the Asean-related foreign ministers’ meetings in Manila.
In Canberra, the acting secretary of Dfat called in the Lao ambassador.
The federal health minister, Mark Butler, said the government would be watching closely as Lao authorities prepared to hold a press conference on the matter.
“All of us can imagine the grief and the sense of loss that those families are going through now,” he said. “Our hearts are breaking for them all over again.”
The Australian government has offered to provide its Lao counterpart with resources to conduct a full investigation, which had been rejected, Butler said.
“There could not be any doubt about what we expect. We continue to urge them to press for real accountability and introduce some real charges with teeth.”
