‘I heard her scream’: Aiia Maasarwe’s sister recalls final phone call

The sister of Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe, who was tragically murdered in Melbourne earlier this week, has now spoken out, revealing the chilling details of her final conversation with her sister.

Speaking to reporters from Israel’s Channel 13 network, Ruba revealed she had been speaking to her sister on Facetime just moments before she was allegedly murdered.

“We spoke on the phone on FaceTime. We spoke about the stand-up comedy she saw and when we would next meet,” she said, reports the Daily Mail.

“Suddenly I heard her scream. I heard vehicles in the background of the call like there was a phone on the floor. There was no sign during the conversation of the horror about to happen.

“I heard her screaming and screaming and then the call was cut off.”

Aiia’s body was discovered outside a shopping centre at about 7am on Wednesday by passers-by on their morning commute.

It’s believed La Trobe University student Aiia, 21, who had only been in Melbourne for five months, was attacked the night before on her way home from a comedy club in North Melbourne.

Read more: ‘My worst dream’: Father of Aiia Maasarwe shares heartbreaking message.

On Friday, Aiia’s father Saaed Maasarwe spoke at a vigil held in honour of his daughter, describing the unimaginable situation as his “worst dream”.

“When I see people here like this, huge people, support us and give us good feeling about Australia and the community here in Australia my appreciation all of them one by one,” he told reporters at the event which was attended by hundreds of people.

“I will have this image, disaster. My worst dream. I have a good dream, nice dream to be with my daughter not this situation.”

The devastated father, who travelled to Australia shortly after Aiia’s body was discovered, described his daughter as a happy person who brightened everyone’s lives.

“She was a special girl,” Saeed explained. “All the time she think positive, she happy. She can make everything even from the worst situation happy and joke. She is friendly. She is really very, very happy.

On Saturday Victoria Police confirmed that a 20-year-old man had been formally charged with murder following Aiia’s death. The accused appeared at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to hear the charges against him, however no pleas were entered.

A police spokesperson said: “The charge follows an extensive investigation into Aiia’s death following the discovery of her body near Main Drive and Plenty Road in Bundoora on Wednesday 16 January about 7am.”

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