Families of two Australian teenagers who died from methanol poisoning in Laos in 2024, which also took the life of two young Danish women, say they were shocked to find that the court only fined perpetrators of about 185$, Australian media and The Guardian reports.
Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, died after drinking tainted cocktails at Nana Backpackers in Vang Vieng in November 2024. Two Danish women, a US tourist and a British woman also died.
The families say they learned through a group chat that 10 people linked to the hostel were tried in January. They were convicted of destroying evidence and given fines and suspended sentences.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the destruction-of-evidence case related only to the US victim. The Lao department apologised for not keeping the Australian families fully informed.
Australian foreign minister Penny Wong said Australia is pressing Lao authorities for accountability in the cases. The families of all victims are calling for greater transparency and stronger diplomatic pressure.
