'Destroys trust in the system': Vigil held for Isla Bell

A vigil was held for 19-year-old Isla Bell, who was found dead in November last year. (ABC News: Natasha Schapova) A rally has been held for Isla Bell in Melbourne after murder and manslaughter charges were dropped against the man accused of killing her. Friends and family of Ms Bell were joined by hundreds of others, with Ms Bell's mother addressing the rally. People at the rally said they had been left devastated after prosecutors dropped the charges earlier this week. Link copiedShareShare articleEight months ago, friends and family of Melbourne woman Isla Bell spent weeks spreading photos of her across Melbourne's northern suburbs, hoping to find some trace of the missing 19-year-old. On Saturday in Melbourne's CBD, the same friends and family were joined by hundreds of others, holding up photos of Ms Bell at a rally over her death. Isla Bell's family and friends signposted her disappearance widely across Melbourne in October last year. (ABC News: Rudy De Santis ) The rally in front of the State Library came days after prosecutors dropped a manslaughter charge against accused killer Marat Ganiev. It was Mr Ganiev's St Kilda East home where Ms Bell was last seen alive, six weeks before her body was discovered at a tip. In a statement, the Office of Public Prosecutions said the manslaughter charge against Mr Ganiev was discontinued because there were "no reasonable prospects of conviction due to insufficient evidence". Isla Bell's remains were discovered in November 2024, six weeks after she was last seen alive. (Supplied) Mr Ganiev, 55, still faces charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and will face court at a later date. His alleged associate Eyal Yaffe, who police accused of moving a fridge containing Ms Bell's body, walked out of the Supreme Court on Tuesday a free man. Friends and family who knew Isla Bell were joined by strangers moved by her story. (ABC News: Natasha Schapova) Ms Bell's mother Justine Spokes gave a speech at the rally, with waves of emotion overwhelming her as she spoke. "There's despair there, but there's open hearts. I feel so supported, it's a really beautiful turnout today," she said. Ms Spokes said the dropping of charges during the week had left her devastated. "My mind was prepared for that outcome because my expectations were low," she said. "They weren't low enough, and I just couldn't prepare my heart for that." About 200 people attended the rally in front of the State Library on Saturday. (ABC News: Natasha Schapova) She said she had spoken to Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny during the week regarding the outcome. Ms Spokes called for Victoria and other Australian jurisdictions to introduce national trauma-informed media legislation on the reporting of gendered violence, following recommendations made after South Australia's Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence. "It would certainly stop the victim-blaming narrative," she said. Mia and Kira were friends of Isla Bell in primary school, and came to the rally to show their support. "There was a very certain energy to Isla, honestly sometimes it was intimidating just how wild and confident she was, she was incredible," Kira said. Childhood friends of Isla Bell showed their support on Saturday. (ABC News) Mia paid tribute to her friend's artistic skill, remembering her creativity. "Every time I would go to her house, I would go there and she would have made a painting, she'd be doing henna art on her arm," she said. Kira said she was left "so disappointed" by the decision on Tuesday. "I cried such angry tears, and I know that the point of today isn't to be here in anger, but that's the first feeling that really got to me," she said. Mia, who is currently studying to be a lawyer, said the outcome had shaken her faith in the justice system. "To have this happen in my life so early — in all of our lives so early — it just destroys all my trust in the legal system." Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesPorepunkah property owner makes new claims about Dezi Freeman incidentTopic:Crime

'Destroys trust in the system': Vigil held for Isla Bell

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