‘Unfair’: Heartbroken family of slain teen Dau Akueng remember ‘bright smile’, ‘kindness’ in touching post

The devastated family of a teenager who was fatally stabbed along with his 12-year-old friend has remembered the young boy for his kindness and “bright smile”. Dau Akueng, 15, and his friend Chol, 12, were walking home from a basketball game when they were ambushed by a group of up to eight masked people wielding machetes and long-edged weapons, police said. Both boys died after they were stabbed during the ambush in the northwest Melbourne suburb of Cobblebank, near Melton. Dau’s devastated uncle has described the 15-year-old as an “annoying but loyal” and “caring” brother. “He will be remembered for his bright smile, kindness, wit, and basketball and music talents,” Dau’s uncle wrote in a fundraiser. “Dau’s unfair passing has left our family, his friends and community in despair. “We are grieving his loss and grappling with how to come to terms with the unprovoked violence that cut his life short.” Dau grew up around Fitzroy and Collingwood, and held a passion for basketball. He was one of four children in his family. His family are hoping to raise money to hold a memorial “to keep his memory alive”. The fundraiser has smashed the $50,000 target by nearly $15,000. Dau’s father, Elbino Akueng, said his son was “a basketball player, not a criminal” during a moving address to the media in the aftermath of his son’s death. “I told the police last night I need an answer for my son,” Mr Akueng said. “My son is just gone … like this. He’s a basketball player, not a criminal.” His family friend, Aboil Alor, urged for more action to be taken to tackle knife crime. “We’re here for a better life, not to bury our children,” she told reporters. No charges have been laid by police over the boys’ deaths. CCTV footage earlier showed the moment three males chased Chol through the street, one armed with a machete. Detective Inspector Graham Banks said the fatal stabbing was “one of the most horrific crimes” which had the “hallmarks of a youth gang crime”, but could be a case of mistaken identity. He said witnesses and CCTV footage showed the “large group” of masked men fleeing the scene and escaping in a “vehicle that’s yet to be identified”. “It is one of the most horrific crimes in a substantial and growing list of crimes of this nature,” he said. “The children who were murdered were not gang members, and it is not OK to remain silent.” Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan is pulling together meetings with the South Sudanese Community of Melton and the South Sudanese Community of Wyndham following the attacks.