‘It is hard’: Tragic Isla Bell gendered violence activism details emerge

Slain young Melbourne woman Isla Bell had shown support for a local MP calling for action against gendered violence before she was allegedly murdered by a man.

Victorian MP Georgie Purcell took to Instagram this afternoon to remember Ms Bell, revealing the 20-year-old had previously interacted with her calls for action on femicide.

“I didn’t know Isla personally, but I did watch as she engaged on my own Instagram page,” Ms Purcell said.

“She made jokes and offered solidarity. And she also liked my posts about ending femicide and attending the national rallies against violence.

“It is hard to think I am now writing about it (allegedly) happening to her.”

Ms Purcell noted Ms Bell had turned 20 while missing, adding, “She had a family trip planned to the Great Barrier Reef and she was so excited.”

“I want to say more about the person I am told she was as a friend, a daughter, an aunty – but that actually shouldn’t matter.

Police say that Ms Bell was last seen leaving her Brunswick home about 6pm on October 4 and had remained in contact with a friend until shortly after midnight on October 7.

According to a summary of her alleged final moments and death released by the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, Ms Bell texted a mate that she had met an older man.

“She stated that this person had been lavishing her with gifts and had saved her from sex traffickers,” it reads.

In a newly-uncovered Snapchat post sent three days later on October 7, she told a friend she had “found the best sugar daddy”, according to court documents.

The documents also say that Ms Bell claimed the person had saved her from “sex traffickers” and gave her gifts.

But shortly after midnight on October 7, she allegedly “abruptly stops sending messages” to her friend and three days later was reported missing by her mother.

Human remains, suspected to be the missing 19-year-old but yet to be formally identified, were discovered at a Dandenong waste management facility on Tuesday morning.

The same day, Victoria Police charged two men after raids on two properties in Bentleigh East and Mulgrave.

Marat Ganiev, 53, and Eyal Yaffe, 57, appeared separately in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday following their arrests.

Mr Ganiev is accused of murdering Ms Bell on October 7 in St Kilda East, while Mr Yaffe has been charged with assisting an offender after the fact.

According to a summary of the police case released by the court, Ms Bell was allegedly caught on CCTV entering Mr Ganiev’s St Kilda apartment about 9.30pm on October 5 and was not seen leaving.

Police allege that about 12.43am on October 7, the footage captured a fight through a gap in a kitchen window, with Ms Bell seen falling to the ground.

“Investigators observed what appears to be Bell’s head whipping around as if she has been struck,” the brief states.

It’s alleged the CCTV footage shows Mr Ganiev cleaning thoroughly over the next few days before Mr Yaffe arrived with a black fridge on October 9.

The fridge allegedly remained in Mr Ganiev’s apartment for eight days before Mr Yaffe assisted him to remove it wrapped in plastic on October 17.

It was allegedly moved to various locations around Melbourne before a man found the fridge and opened it.

The brief alleges a bag fell out and the man threw it into a rubbish bin, believing it was animal remains.

According to the summary, Mr Ganiev allegedly claimed he did not kill Ms Bell but used the fridge to transport her remains after she died at his place.

It’s alleged during his interview that he told police he did not have sex with her nor buy her gifts.

The summary alleges Mr Yaffe told police he helped deliver a new fridge to Mr Ganiev and assisted him to dump the old one 300m from his home on a kerbside pick-up without knowing the contents.