Coroner reopens drowning case after family suspect foul play

3 hours ago 4

The coroner will reopen an investigation into the death of Melbourne woman Louisa Ioannidis after doubt was cast over whether she drowned or was instead the victim of foul play.

Ioannidis, 24, was found dead in Darebin Creek on October 11, 2011, about 450 metres from the Reservoir house she shared with her long-term partner.

She was wearing a pink dressing gown and jeans and was so decomposed she had to be identified by her fingerprints.

Ioannidis’ death was determined by the coroner’s office at the time as being “consistent with drowning”. No suspicious circumstances were found, and no inquest was held.

However, in the years since, her family has demanded the case be reopened, with more than 25,000 people signing an online petition asking for authorities to look again for answers into the 14-year-old case and how the young woman found herself in difficulty in the creek.

The case also recently appeared on Australian Story and in a dedicated podcast Troubled Waters.

The 24-year-old’s family say new evidence has come to light.

In court documents released to this masthead, deputy state coroner Paresa Antoniadis Spanos said Ioannidis had been living with her partner Youseff Asaad at the time of her death.

Spanos said the relationship was volatile involving arguments and physical abuse, with Assad being the last person to see Ioannidis alive.

She said that in 2012 the young woman’s brother, Tass Stouraitis, raised concerns with the court that “Ioannidis had died in suspicious circumstances and that Mr Asaad was involved in her death”.

In 2013, the coroner refused the family’s request for an inquest and ruled her death was a drowning.

The 24-year-old was found dead in October 2011.

“I concluded that the available evidence did not enable me to determine whether Ms Ioannidis intentionally took her own life or had died from accident or misadventure and that the available evidence did not support a finding that any other person caused or contributed to her death,” Spanos said.

In June, the victim’s brother applied for the case to be re-examined, citing new facts and circumstances, including that water levels in the creek may have been lower than first thought, and expert opinions throwing doubt onto the police and coronial investigation process.

The coroner noted that the new material filed included a review of the original autopsy which Professor Johan Duflou said had overlooked the presence of haemorrhages in Ioannidis’ neck from a possible strangulation.

The other fresh material included a report from domestic violence expert Professor Kerry Carrington which said that given the 24-year-old had attempted to leave her partner before her death, “motives and movements of Mr Asaad on the night of her death warrant further scrutiny”.

During their campaign for answers, the woman’s family said her loved ones deserve clarity, with many unanswered questions and concerns about the running of the initial investigation.

In September, Libertarian MP David Limbrick also raised the case in parliament.

“From personal experience, when tragedies occur, grief can be compounded if people feel the system has let them down,” he said. “More than anyone, the person who deserves answers is Louisa’s older brother, Tass. He deserves to be acknowledged for his tenacity. He has never given up on his sister and will never let her be forgotten.

“Her untimely passing in 2011 has not just affected her family; her story has shocked thousands of people in Melbourne because of the continuing concerns about women’s safety.”

A hearing is expected to be held in the Coroner’s Court of Victoria at a later date. No one has been charged in relation to this death.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.