'We fell short': DFAT apologises to families of methanol poisoning victims after court case blunder

The Australian government has apologised for failing to keep the families of two Australians who died in Laos from methanol poisoning updated on a court case.

The People's Court of Vang Vieng in the southeast Asian country fined 10 people $185 for their roles in the deaths at Nana Backpacker Hostel in 2024, after guests were served alcohol tainted with methanol.

The findings were made in secret, but the families of Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, two 19-year-old Australians who died, only found out about the decision from other victims of the poisoning instead of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

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The department "apologised unreservedly" to the families for failing to keep the families properly informed of proceedings.

"The Department prides itself in its commitment to consular service and to ensuring that the interests of consular clients and their families are paramount. On this occasion, we fell short of our aspiration," a statement published this morning said.

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"Australian officials continue to underscore our expectations of a thorough and transparent investigation and that there is justice for Holly and Bianca."

The fathers of Bowles and Jones had previously expressed their frustration with being kept in the dark as the court case went underway behind closed doors.

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"As citizens of this country we expect the government to look after their people and get justice for their citizens when they go travelling," Mr Jones told 9news yesterday.

"We can't get into the country. There's nothing more we can do. We need the government to do something because we are out of options," Mr Bowles added.

The accused were charged late last month for destroying evidence, with those verdicts relating to the death of a US citizen who also drank the tainted alcohol at the hostel.

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