New details related to the case of 5 Vietnamese students mysteriously disappearing in Australia

The host family and colleagues of Sunnie Nguyen, the latest in a string of mysterious disappearances of Vietnamese international students, have revealed more information about the female student at the time of her disappearance.

Portrait of Sunnie Nguyen, one of the Vietnamese students who mysteriously disappeared in Australia

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Sunnie Nguyen (17 years old, real name Nguyen Hoan Ngoc Anh) is the fifth Vietnamese student to mysteriously disappear in Australia recently. All five students studied at Hamilton High School (Adelaide City) on exchange, but it is unclear whether there is any connection between them. Australian authorities announced on January 11 that one person had been found, but there is still no news about the remaining four cases, including the student who has been missing for more than four weeks, according to 7News .

Leaving behind most of his belongings

In Sunnie's case, the student reportedly had dinner with her host family at around 7 p.m. on January 8, then went to her room to rest. When hostess May Zervaas checked the room at around 11 p.m., Sunnie had disappeared with her backpack, laptop, some clothes, and some important personal documents. The room showed no signs of a break-in, and most of her belongings were still intact. Ms. Zervaas then tried to contact Sunnie, but her phone was turned off and her Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok accounts were also deleted. 30 minutes later, the family reported the student missing to the police. "I sat on the phone all night, anxiously waiting for a call from Sunnie," Ms. Zervaas's daughter, Mary, told the Daily Mail . According to Mary, Sunnie is not fluent in English and often has to ask others to translate what she wants to say. “She had five backpacks, but only left with one. She also took important items like her laptop, her passport, most likely to prove her identity, some clothes and two pairs of shoes. But she left everything else here, including her medicine,” Mary said.

Mrs. May Zervaas (left) and her daughter Mary are worried about the safety of Vietnamese female international student Sunnie Nguyen.

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According to Australian media, police have been investigating the case of four Vietnamese students who have been missing since early December. The disappearances are being handled separately and police say they are not related. "All current lines of investigation suggest that some of them may have gone to other states and are still there. There is also no information to suggest they are in danger," an Australian police spokesman said.

Unable to contact family in Vietnam

Like many other young girls, Sunnie loves to sing, dance, spend time with friends, and Taylor Swift. During the six months she lived with the Zervaas family, her schedule revolved around going to school, coming home, then spending the evening laughing, dancing, and making videos with two other international students living in her house. If not for the disappearance, she would have started grade 11 next year. According to Mary, Sunnie lived happily and in harmony with her family, and her student visa was still valid for three years. Therefore, they did not believe she had run away. At the present time, the Zervaas mother and daughter, her housemates, and even Sunnie's Vietnamese best friend were "heartbroken, shocked, and confused" by the student's disappearance, because everything in her life seemed "completely normal." Mary added that authorities in Australia were trying to contact Sunnie's parents in Quang Binh province, but so far they had not been able to connect. The Zervaas also reached out to Sunnie's friends, but were told she had not contacted anyone since she went missing. "We were very worried. She would be struggling alone," Mary said.

Sunnie Nguyen (left cover) takes a photo with her roommate

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Mi Tran, owner of Mi and Co The Nail and Beauty Bar, said Sunnie did not show up for her shift on November 10. She described Sunnie as a reliable employee who always let her know in advance if she was late or unable to work. "I am very lucky to have her on my team. We are all very worried and have not been able to sleep well since we heard she went missing. Sunnie is our youngest sister," Mi said. Sunnie's colleagues also said they had sent messages to her but had not received a response. It is currently the time when Australian schools let students go on summer break. "So, I hope this is just a case of 17-year-olds wanting to gather somewhere without telling anyone," said Lien Nguyen-Navas, spokeswoman for the Vietnamese Women's Association in Australia. Australian police are also calling on anyone with information related to the disappearance of the Vietnamese students to come forward and assist in the investigation. "We are working with the federal police to continue to locate the children," the police spokesman added.

Students still have difficulty communicating in English.

Mary said that Sunnie has a "pure heart" and is a "kind person", but the family is extremely worried about her safety because she is said to be very shy and has difficulty communicating in English. The Zervaas family also do not know if Sunnie is friends or has any connection with the Vietnamese students who went missing before. "She could not speak English when she first arrived in Australia. Now she is more open with us and other friends in the house, but when she goes out, Sunnie still has to rely on others to speak for her. We have done our best to help her learn English and encourage her to speak English at home. Sunnie has improved a lot, but that is still not enough," Mary shared.

Thanhnien.vn

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