12-year-old Chol Achiek farewelled in Melbourne as investigation into machete attack continues

A 12-year-old boy, Chol Achiek, was farewelled in Melbourne on Friday after he and his 15-year-old friend Dau Akueng were ambushed and stabbed with a machete while walking home from basketball training in Cobblebank on September 6.

The boys were found critically injured in separate streets and died at the scene. Chilling CCTV captured Chol's final moments, showing him being chased through the streets by a group of three men; one attacker lunged with a machete as Chol fell to the ground. Police said those involved were believed to be angered by a meme referencing the stabbing death of a teen killed late last year.

On Friday, Chol's loved ones gathered at St Mary's Anglican Church in Sunbury to pay tribute to the 12-year-old, described by attendees as kind, creative and having a big personality. A group of men wearing matching white t-shirts bearing Chol's face spoke at the front of the church as his tearful mother and sister watched on. Photos from Chol's short life were projected onto church walls, and mourners learned he dreamed of becoming a professional basketball player. His small white coffin was covered with white flowers.

Chol's older sister Monica Achiek told the crowd that her life would never be the same: “I never thought I would be standing here, saying goodbye to my brother.” Nile Warriors basketball club vice president Ayak Kuany paid tribute, saying, “There’s a space missing in our trains now, the gap at the end of the bench, a name we wish we were still calling out during our games.” We could feel that absence every single time he walked into the room.

Tributes remain at the locations where Chol and Dau died. Three teenagers have been charged with Chol's murder, including a 19-year-old Caroline Springs man, an 18-year-old Wollert man and a 16-year-old boy. Five teenagers have been charged with the murder of Dau, including a 19-year-old Thornhill man, two 16-year-old boys and two 15-year-old boys. The investigation into the deaths continues.

“There is no other word for this than senseless,” Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Martin O’Brien said. “Two children walking home after playing sport, who should have had decades of their lives ahead of them. Instead, their devastated families are grieving their loss and all the things they will never get to see two children grow up to achieve and experience.”