An Australian judge sentenced a man to 36 years in prison on Tuesday for the murder and rape of an Israeli student in the city of Melbourne.
Victoria state Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth ordered Codey Herrmann, 21, to serve a minimum of 30 years behind bars for the brutal killing and sexual assault of 21-year-old Aya Maasarwe in January.
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"Women should be free to walk the streets alone without fear of being violently attacked by a stranger," Hollingworth said. "She had no opportunity to flee or escape."
The victim had been studying at La Trobe University in Melbourne for the previous five months as an exchange student. She was on her way from a comedy club to her student accommodation on campus when she was attacked.
Video: Reuters
Maasarwe's relatives sobbed in the public gallery as the judge recounted details of the killing.
"It was a savage attack with a crude but effective weapon which immediately rendered her unconscious," the judge said, noting Maasarwe had been alone, small in stature and unsuspecting.
He then set her body on fire to destroy evidence, which "showed utter contempt of her dignity," the judge said.
Prosecutors had applied for the killer to be imprisoned for life. But Herrmann's lawyer Tim Marsh told the court his client deserved some leniency because he had a personality disorder stemming from a severely traumatic childhood and this had warped his view of the world.
Maasarwe's father Saeed reacted to the sentencing, asking his daughter be remembered as someone who loved everybody, regardless of their background.
