The family of a 28-year-old South Sudanese man, whose body was found at a Melbourne high school last month, have accused Victoria Police of mishandling the investigation into his death.
Chakuen “Chucks” Chakuen (aka Ngunoah), 28, was found dead in a school greenhouse at Lyndale Secondary College on October 23.
While homicide squad detectives were initially assigned to the case due to the severity of his injuries, a Victoria Police spokesperson told BACKCOVERNEWS.COM on Monday there was no indication of foul play.
“A post-mortem was conducted, and the death is not being treated as suspicious,” the spokesperson said.
However, Chakuen’s grieving sister, Chakothbel, suspects police may have got it all wrong and is now organising a rally to draw attention to her late brother’s death.
“I think something happened to him and they didn’t see it as worthy of investigating, they thought no one would care,” she told BACKCOVERNEWS.COM exclusively.
“They called in all the homicide detectives but they never told us that, they told us something different. We have also not been able to see the injuries on his body.”
She added that her brother was “always happy” and “always smiling”, “he did not have any mental health problems”.
Two days before Chakuen’s body was found by a staff member at the Dandenong North high school, he called his mother to let her know he would be home that same evening but he never made it.
Soon after, police showed up on the family’s doorstep to deliver the fateful news.
“We received a knock on the door from two detectives,” she recalled. “It was a shock, just unbelievable.”
The family bid farewell to their beloved son and brother in a private service on Saturday, attended by friends and former teachers who spoke highly of Chakuen’s character.
“They all loved and adored him,” she said. “The teachers that taught him when he was in primary school, they attended the funeral as well so that goes to show what type of kid he was.”
A rally is now scheduled to take place in Dandenong on Thursday, organized by Chakothbel and aimed at bringing attention to the case, seeking transparency from the police, and demanding justice.
“It’s to bring awareness, demonstrate solidarity, and bring justice,” Chakothbel emphasised. As the family grapples with grief, they remain determined to seek the truth surrounding Chakuen’s untimely death.
If you or anyone you know is struggling, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
