Melbourne, 2 August: Maulin Rathod, 25, came to Australia four years ago to do Masters of Accounting s in Melbourne, Australia. A humble and studious young man, the only child of his parents – Hiren Rathod and Jagruti Rathod – wanted to gain accountancy qualification – to be able to quip himself – to have good life, possibly here in Australia And being the only child he wanted to take care of his parents as all Indian sons children do.
But he was killed hours after he had a dinner date with Jamie Lee Dolheguy, 19, he had met through a dating site. They had decided to meet for dinner at her Sunbury property on Monday 23 July. From there, Maulin was taken to Sunshine hospital in melbourne’s west seriously injured where he later died.
“It’s believed the pair had arranged to meet at the property and were known to each other,” Victorian Police said.
A troubled teenager Ms Dolheguy, who reportedly lived alone at the property, was arrested last week over the alleged attack on Maulin at her home in Sunbury last Monday, which left Maulin with fatal injuries. About 9pm, emergency services rushed to her place in Ross Court in Sunbury. Maulin was taken to Sunshine Hospital after emergency services found him with life-threatening injuries. Doctors couldn’t save him. He died in hospital the following day.
Initially she was charged with
(1) attempted murder;
(2) intentionally causing serious injury; and
(3) recklessly causing serious injury
after her arrest.
With the death of Maulin, police upgraded the charges against Ms Dolheguy to murder.
Jamie Lee Dolheguy appeared briefly before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday 30 July via a video link from custody. She sat through her appearance impassively with her head down and did not say anything.
She was remanded in custody to appear again on November 19.
But some very disturbing details have emerged about Maulin’s attacker.
Media reports now suggest Dolheguy, who lived with acute psychiatric illness and reportedly believed she was a werewolf, required two full-time carers to protect her from herself.
She “reportedly believed she was a werewolf and was a ‘danger to society’ according to her full-time carers”, reported Sydney Morning Herald.
‘Everyone is scared of her,’ one carer told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Dolheguy shared intimate details of her struggles with mental health on her Instagram posts page in lead up to the alleged murder.
‘If only they believed me when I said I’m not sane,’ she said.
‘I live in fear, afraid of what’s behind the corner, my heart is black. I no longer feel the emotions of happiness unless I see someone else suffer.’
Dolheguy said she believed a demon was living inside of her.
‘Demons are real and ghosts are too, they live inside us and sometimes they win,’ she said.
‘Sometimes when no one is looking, my demon comes out to play. I try and fight her but she just gets stronger and she says to me “life hurts life is pain there’s no point fighting it you know it’s true so why try and make things right when you can just end it all now if your so afraid of death then just do it naturally no one will know and no one will care no one likes that’s why you have no friends they say they care they say the love you but it’s all lies can’t you tell”’
Dolheguy’s full-time carer, who wished to remain anonymous, described the 18-year-old as ‘extremely disturbed’, the Daily Mail reported.
The carer also said Dolheguy probably had a number of personalities over the years.
And according to neighbours, police and carers frequently visited the property, which is owned by the Department of Health and Human Services.
But the property, where Dolheguy lived by herself and supposedly unsupervised at the time, according to the department is ‘not currently operating as a residential care facility’.
Maulin’s parents have questioned the authorities to let Dolheguy be on her own – unsupervised.
That is precisely what has upset many in the community and some feel the department has failed Maulin and his parents.
“This boy was the only child of his parents who sold their bungalow to send him here to study; they also have unpaid educational loan to worry about and their only hope in life they had is extinguished”, said Parthbhai Patel talking to Bharat Times.
There are many other who have expressed similar sentiments in much stronger terms.
Maulin’s parents currently live in Prabhu Van apartments near Anjali Crossroads in Paldi in Ahmedabad Gujarat. Their neighbour Anish Nanavati told local media outlet Ahmedabad Mirror:
“Hirenbhai had struggled a lot to send Maulin to Melbourne. He sold off his bungalow to bear the expenses. They are already paying education and home loan instalments… then they got the news of Maulin’s death.”
According to Anish Nanavati and Maulin’s uncle Jayendrasinh Rathod, Maulin’s parents have had no financial capacity to afford to pay to get Maulin’s body back home. Hearing the tragic news, they immediately appealed to Indian and Australian embassies to financially help so that Maulin’s mortal remains could be carried back to India.
BT believes, although Maulin’s friends and Gujarati Samaj had raised funds, the Indian Consulate in Melbourne stepped in to arrange for Maulin’s body to be sent back to India.
The funds collected will be handed over to Maulin’s parents who face total financial ruins for no fault of Maulin or theirs.
The question is – should they be condemned to such life – for innocently aspiring to send their son – their only child – to Melbourne to gain Australian qualifications – to arm him to make a better life for himself and ultimately theirs?
The only answer there can be is ‘NO’.
Australia (Victoria) had a ‘duty of care’ to Maulin Rathod an international student – to provide safe environment – to stay and study.
If all the revelations about Jamie Lee Dolheguy’s acute mental illness and the full time care she required are true and the fact that she was allegedly left to fall through the cracks, it is axiomatic, Australia (Victoria) failed not only Maulin Rathod but also his parents.
AND IF the department has botched up Dolheguy’s care, then the department should at least be morally and ethically and perhaps even legally responsible to now take care of not only the girl but also Maulin and now his parents.
They should not be condemned to suffer financial consequences of our system failure or stuff up and should be appropriately compensated. An appropriate amount of money should be nominated to pay for Maulin’s parents’ losses, their future and aged care – which Maulin would have undertaken.
It will be interesting to see what course the department head honchos take dealing with Dolheguy’s treatment issues.
From what is out in the public domain, it is very difficult to find any fault with Maulin’s conduct – and thus his tragic and untimely death calls for appropriate compensation for his very lonely parents, who have lost their only child. One would hope, generosity and commonsense will prevail, sooner rather than later. – DM