“I looked at those girls and thought, ‘You’re hiding something.’ These girls were very secretive. They kept a very low profile.” Their unit was sparsely furnished, but as messy as it would be for sisters in their 20s who spent most of their time at home.
The sisters originally settled in Fairfield in Sydney, before moving to Canterbury around 2020. They paid about $500 a week for their flat. They were registered as sole traders, but not for GST, which is only required for those earning more than $75,000 a year.
The two sisters’ rooms opened onto a balcony overlooking the main road to Canterbury
Police will not disclose the nature of their businesses.
In 2018, older sister Asra took out a domestic violence arrest warrant, but it was withdrawn and dismissed.
Police this week released photographs of the sisters, who moved to Australia as teenagers in 2017, in the hope that members of the community will come forward with information.
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Another person with knowledge of the case, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the women had sought asylum in Australia. A police spokeswoman declined to confirm, saying police did not comment on residency status.
Between mid-2017 and mid-2022, 86 women from Saudi Arabia applied for permanent protection in Australia and 75 received a permanent protection visa, the Department of Home Affairs said. Herald.
Although the Persian Gulf state has eased some restrictions on women’s freedoms in recent years (they can now drive, vote and appear in public without the hijab), many are still fleeing and seeking asylum due to violence and domestic abuse.
Police said they have contacted the woman’s family, who are assisting them with enquiries. There was “nothing to suggest” they were suspicious, Inspector Claudia Allcroft said, or that the women had fled Saudi Arabia.
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The sisters’ rental flat has now been cleaned. The pavement has been replaced. It has no new tenants yet. “Should we have looked harder?” said the construction worker. “I don’t know what else we could have done. If you say, “That’s fine and I should go,” what else do I do?”
Strike Force Woolbird has been established by Burwood detectives to investigate the circumstances surrounding the women’s deaths. Police have urged the community to come forward if they know anything that could help the investigation.
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