Laos authorities reject Australia's offer to help investigation into methanol poisonings

Melbourne teenagers Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, both aged 19, died after ingesting tainted alcohol in the tourist town of Vang Vieng in November.

Zoe Daniel, independent MP for Goldstein, today asked parliament for an update on the progress in the Laos police investigation on behalf of Holly’s father, Shaun.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the Australian Federal Police (AFP)’s offer of help had so far been refused by Laos officials.

“What happened to Holly and Bianca struck at the heart of the nation,” Marles said.

“The AFP has made an offer to the authorities in Laos to provide their assistance in the investigation, and there is a whole lot of capability the AFP could bring [in terms of] this investigation.

“I have to report sadly to the house that at this point the Laos authorities have not taken up that invitation on the part of the AFP.”

Marles said the government and Australian police remain in constant contact with the Laos authorities and the offer of help will be raised again.

He assured the Bowles and Jones families the AFP would not drop the matter.

“But I would want to assure the families of Bianca and Holly that we remain in contact with the Laos authorities,” Marles added.

“We will continue to press Laos to pursue this investigation and we will continue to offer the assistance of the Australian government through the AFP.”

Marles added Foreign Minister Penny Wong was also following up with her counterpart in Laos.

Bowles and Jones’s parents, along with the families of other tourists who died from poisoning at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Laos, told 60 Minutes they had been left in the dark.

“We’ve heard nothing. So I can’t be confident about anything,” he said.

Shaun, Holly’s father, added: “For them not to reach out is, that’s just not good enough.”