Isla Bell's heartbroken family is joined by dozens at a Melbourne rally: 'Enough is enough'

By TARA COSOLETO FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 09:05, 16 May 2026 | Updated: 09:06, 16 May 2026 Dozens of people have rallied to remember a 19-year-old woman whose body was found in a rubbish dump, amid calls for the government to intervene after charges were dropped against her alleged killer. Isla Bell's body was located at a Dandenong tip in Melbourne's southeast in November 2024, six weeks after she was reported missing by her family. Police originally charged Marat Ganiev, 55, with her murder, claiming he killed the teen in the early hours of October 7, 2024, before hiding her body in a fridge. The charge was downgraded to manslaughter as the case entered the Victorian Supreme Court, but prosecutors withdrew that offence on Tuesday, citing insufficient evidence. Ganiev has instead been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, with a new trial date yet to be set. A large crowd gathered for Ms Bell's vigil near Melbourne's State Library on Saturday. Victorian Greens MP Anasina Gray-Barberio said the community was calling on state Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny to intervene in the case. 'Enough is enough,' she said in a social media post after the rally. The body of 19-year-old Isla Bell (pictured) was located at a Dandenong tip in Melbourne's southeast in November 2024, six weeks after she was reported missing by her family A rally for Isla Bell was held at the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne on Saturday In a social media video on Thursday, Ms Bell's mother Justine Spokes (pictured at the rally) called on the community to rally peacefully after her daughter 'never got her vigil' 'Absolutely heartbreaking, the sorrow and grief that these families continue to bear at the hands of a legal system that refuses to centre the experiences of victims and survivors and their families.' Gray-Barberio added that the Victorian government must reform a legal system that is failing to protect women and children.  Ms Bell's mother, Justine Spokes, took to social media on Thursday to call on the community to hold a peaceful rally in honour of her daughter. 'Isla never got her vigil,' she said in a video posted to Instagram. 'I really want to welcome people into this space with no judgments in their mind. 'It's not about thoughts. It's just about arriving in that space with an open heart.' Rally-goers were encouraged to wear orange, a colour associated with activism to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls. Ms Spokes urged people to remain peaceful, saying she had spent the past few years being angry and rallying. Pictured, David Spokes, the grandfather of Isla Bell, stands before the crowd in Melbourne Rally-goers were encouraged to wear orange, a colour associated with activism to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls 'I'm tired - I'm so tired,' she said in the video. 'And that anger, I know it catalyses change, but underneath all that anger is just so much sadness and grief.' A second man charged in relation to Ms Bell's death had his case discontinued on Tuesday. Eyal Yaffe, 59, was originally accused of assisting an offender and attempting to pervert the course of justice, but prosecutors withdrew the two charges and he walked free from court. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.