On March 13, 2022, Alier Riak was celebrating his 23rd birthday in Melbourne’s city centre when he and his friends were ambushed by brothers Teamrat Kassa, 22, and Aron Gebregiorgis, 24, along with four other men. Initially targeting Riak’s older brother Kuol, 25, the assailants attacked him with punches and stabbings on Bourke Street.
In an attempt to protect his brother, Riak was chased by the attackers to a nearby park, where he was viciously stabbed multiple times in the chest and leg. Despite managing to return to his friends, he collapsed on the street shortly thereafter. CCTV footage captured Gebregiorgis calmly walking away from the altercation, discarding his blood-stained jumper, while Kassa and his associates lingered near the injured Riak until emergency services arrived. Tragically, Riak succumbed to his injuries while being transported to the hospital, while Kuol was admitted with four stab wounds.
Five days following the incident, both Gebregiorgis and Kassa were arrested and charged in connection with this brutal attack. They faced trial in the Victorian Supreme Court, where they both pleaded guilty to murder, with Justice John Champion condemning their actions as “unjustified and cowardly.” Gebregiorgis received a sentence of 25 years, with the possibility of parole after 19 years, while Kassa was sentenced to a maximum of 26 years and six months, with parole eligibility after 20 years. In addition to the murder charge, Kassa also pleaded guilty to causing injury to Kuol Riak.