New details in the case of "missing" Vietnamese students in Australia

The incident has caused a stir in public opinion since the beginning of this month. The host family, where one of the four international students, Sunnie Nguyen, 17, was staying, reported her "missing". Specifically, on the evening of January 8, Sunnie had dinner with the host family, then suddenly and mysteriously disappeared.

Sunnie's phone was disconnected and her social media accounts were also deactivated.

After Ms. May Zervaas, from the above host family, sought information from the authorities, three more Vietnamese students were reported "missing" in a similar manner between December 2023 and January 2024.

Nữ sinh người Việt tên Sunnie Nguyen, 17 tuổi, mất tích bí ẩn từ ngày 8-1. Ảnh: Daily Mail — Vietnamese female student named Sunnie Nguyen, 17 years old, mysteriously disappeared since January 8. Photo: Daily Mail

According to the Daily Mail, a spokesperson for South Australian police said: "All investigative information indicates that some of these young people may have travelled between Australian states and are still there. It is not yet known whether they are in danger or not and they appear to be evading police. We are working with the federal police to try to locate them."

South Australian Police have been in contact with the families of the teenagers in Vietnam.

Previously, News.com.au reported on January 12 that the Vietnamese students were participating in aneducational exchange program in South Australia.

The latest, Sunnie, was described as a shy girl with limited English. When she went missing, Sunnie was carrying a backpack containing her laptop, clothes and identification. There were no signs that Sunnie's room had been ransacked and most of her belongings were still in the room.

"I sat by my phone all night, anxiously waiting for a call. Her English wasn't very good, so she often had to rely on an interpreter. She had five bags in her room but only took one. Her two pairs of shoes were gone, but the clothes in her closet were still there, as well as important medicine," Zervaas' daughter Mary told the Daily Mail.

Lien Nguyen-Navas, who works at the Vietnamese Women's Association in Adelaide, Australia, said: "Maybe those students went out during the school break. They wanted to go somewhere together and not let anyone know."

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