The parents of the two Melbourne teenagers who died in a mass methanol poisoning event in Laos last year say charges recommended for people linked to the event fall short of their expectations. The comments came as Bianca Jones' and Holly Bowles' former football club held an emotional memorial match for the sorely missed pair.
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00:00There was more than just a match at stake.
00:04Decked out in a commemorative pink and special tribute Guernseys,
00:08the Beaumaris Sharks filed through a guard of honour minus two of their own.
00:12We've got their initials in our jerseys today and their numbers from when they played, which is amazing.
00:18Lifelong friends Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones were on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday last November
00:24when they were lethally poisoned by methanol-tainted cocktails in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.
00:29Today, a commemorative match with the club where the girls were premiership-winning players.
00:36They'd be thrilled. They'd be absolutely thrilled. Big smiles, lots of cuddles and lots of great songs.
00:42They're grief-stricken parents among those spectating from the sidelines.
00:47They're a pretty tight bunch, you know, and Holly and Bianca had a fair impact on a lot of them.
00:54It's going to be an amazing day, but it's going to be hard too.
00:57In March, the girls' family said they'd been kept in the dark by Lao authorities probing the tragedy.
01:03Six months on, no charges have been laid.
01:06But the girls' fathers said a number have now been suggested.
01:10They are well under what we believe should be filed as charges.
01:19We're incredibly dissatisfied as the process at the moment, but we will put that aside today and try and enjoy and celebrate the girls as best we can.
01:29Despite the game faces today, the impact of the tragedy in Melbourne's Bayside community runs deep.
01:35An online auction set up to support two charities the teenagers-backed has already raised about $20,000.
01:41We just try and work through it one day at a time, but days like this definitely really shows the support that we've had.
01:49The memorial match is set to become an annual fixture, preserving the girls' legacy for years to come.
01:55JOHN YANG
02:01And for all the girls' family are the first place that they have to finish, the 1st.
02:04The 54th episode is set to be able to support the people who don't think they are.
02:07The victim of the theft and the social services are so that you can help them even for the youth to the youth and to the youth and to the youth.
02:11We will feel the difference that you can be able to support the people who don't like them.