‘He was a piece of me’: Mourners farewell cheeky 12-year-old, the youngest victim of youth gang crisis

1 week ago 8

“No matter what he was going through, Chol always managed to bring light into the room.”

Monica Nyalat Achiek was supported by her sisters as she spoke through her tears, paying tribute to her cheeky, larger-than-life little brother, Chol Chuti Achiek.

“He had a way of cracking jokes or just giving you a look that would make you laugh – even if you were mad,” she said.

Monica will miss the little moments the most: hearing his voice every day; the random chats they’d have. “Chol wasn’t just my little brother, he was a piece of me.”

Family members mourn the loss of Chol Achiek.

Mourners gathered on Friday at St Mary’s Anglican Church in Sunbury to honour the life of the 12-year-old boy, senselessly killed in an ambush on September 6 as he waited for his mother to pick him up from basketball training.

Friends and family spoke of a young boy with a big personality known for his gift to make others smile.

He was creative. He loved basketball and swimming. He had impeccable manners. He was respectful, kind, passionate, funny, determined.

He was too young.

The church fell silent as his small body, resting in a white casket adorned with white lilies, was carried by his loved ones to the altar. The only sound that could be heard in the packed room were the quiet wails of a family member.

Stabbing victims Dau Akueng, 15, (left) and Chol Achiek, 12, wearing his Nile Warriors uniform.

Projected onto the church walls were memories chronicling the happy, energetic life of the pre-teen boy born on April 14, 2013. There was Chol bouncing on a trampoline, dancing to a crowd of friends, posing in a Chicago Bulls jersey, jumping bomb-style into a local pool.

There was Chol as a toddler, wearing an oversized suit, beaming an impish grin at the camera. It was the same smile captured years later, when Chol was photographed in his new basketball uniform, vibrant with the colours of the South Sudan flag: black, blue, red, yellow and green.

The service followed the customs of South Sudan, Chol’s heritage and his father’s homeland. Mourners sang hymns in Dinka, the Sudanese language. Many wore white, the colour of mourning in the African nation. Some family and friends wore white T-shirts that pictured Chol as an angel.

The memorial was officiated by the clergy of the Anglican church, who led prayers and Bible verses. In their tributes, Chol’s sisters referenced their brother’s strong Christian faith. His favourite Bible verse was Luke 18:1, a passage that shares the importance of perseverance.

The youngest of seven siblings, Chol was a natural leader, who dreamed of one day becoming a professional basketball player.

Chol found his love for the sport when he joined the Nile Warriors, a newly formed team in Melton, founded by volunteers of the South Sudanese community who wanted to support kids.

He gave his whole heart to the game, Nile Warriors vice president Ayak Kuany said. “Chol wasn’t just a player on our team, he became family. You could feel the difference when he walked into the room.

“He reminded us what it was like to play for joy, to show up with heart, and to treat people with kindness.”

Outside the church, Chol’s classmates and friends cried into their mothers’ arms as they watched his coffin being lifted into a hearse.

Mourners pay their respects to a boy who died far too young.

As Victorians enjoy the festivities of the long weekend, those gathered around the hearse have been left with the devastating loss of their 12-year-old son, brother, friend and teammate, believed to be the youngest victim of Melbourne’s youth crime crisis.

A little over three weeks ago, Chol and his friend, 15-year-old Dau Akeung, died within 150 metres of each other after they were fatally stabbed in an ambush just before 8pm. Police attending the scene described it as one of the worst knife crimes they had witnessed.

A small hope for Chol’s father is that somebody may now be held responsible for the death of his son. A 19-year-old Caroline Springs man, an 18-year-old Wollert man and a 16-year-old boy were charged with his murder last Friday.

Chol’s body was laid to rest at Maddingley Cemetery, surrounded by the dozens of family and friends.

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