The parents of two Australian teenagers who died after drinking suspected methanol-tainted alcohol at a tourist hostel in Laos say they are furious that authorities are not pursuing more serious charges.
Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, both 19 and from Melbourne, were among six foreign tourists who died in November 2024 after becoming sick in Vang Vieng, a backpacker destination in Laos.
The teenagers had been staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel when they fell ill. Both were later taken to separate hospitals, where they died. The hostel has since closed.
Denmark’s Foreign Ministry announced that a distillery owner in Laos had been charged with selling food harmful to health and operating an illegal business, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The ministry released the update because two Danish tourists were also among those killed.
The charges reportedly carry a possible sentence ranging from three months to four years in prison, along with a fine.
Officials said the case could remain open for 15 years, leaving the door open for more serious charges, including negligent manslaughter, if investigators uncover enough evidence.
For the victims’ families, however, the current charges do not come close to reflecting the scale of the tragedy.
“Feeling furious would be an understatement,” Bianca’s father, Mark Jones, told ABC.
“I don’t have words for the disgust that I have with what the Laos authorities are suggesting is meant to be justice for the deaths of six tourists,” he said.
Holly’s father, Shaun Bowles, also urged travelers to stay away from Laos during a July 17 news conference held before the charges were announced.
He accused authorities of failing to provide clear answers and suggested they were hiding information about the investigation.
“It shows the value that they put on life over there,” he said, according to ABC. “They don’t want to be direct and up-front with us.”
Bianca’s mother, Michelle Jones, said the handling of the case made it feel as though the victims’ lives did not matter.
“They were just going over to have a bit of fun and just doing the rite of passage that every child or teenager does,” she said, according to the Associated Press. “So, for that outcome, it was just devastating.”
The Australian government said it was “deeply frustrated” and “bitterly disappointed” by the latest development.
“This devastating news will only add to the immense pain and grief suffered by the families and friends of Holly and Bianca,” Australia’s foreign affairs minister said in a statement.
The government said it had repeatedly made clear that any charges should reflect the seriousness of a tragedy that killed six people.
“What happened to Holly, Bianca and four other foreign nationals should never have happened,” the statement continued.
The other victims were Danish tourists Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, British lawyer Simone White, 28, and American tourist James Louis Hutson, 57.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have sent an envoy to Laos to formally object to the handling of the case and press for an investigation capable of delivering justice for all six victims.
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