Mother of British backpacker stabbed to death in Australia says it's 'nonsense' to link killing to terror

Staff at The Bedroom nightclub where she worked in Gold Coast has shut the club for a night out of respect (Facebook)

The mother of British backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung has criticised coverage of her daughter's death, saying attempts to link it to Islam were "nonsense".

Ms Ayliffe-Chung, 21, was fatally stabbed on Tuesday after being attacked at the hostel she was staying in.

The 21-year-old from Wirksworth in Derbyshire was working on a farm in Home Hill, in Queensland, in order to fulfil requirements for her Australian visa when she was attacked.

Her mother, Rosie Ayliffe, said: "My brother asked me what I would do or say in a hypothetical world if I could meet Mia's killer. Much nonsense is being spoken in the press about her alleged killer. The Sky engineer who visited yesterday said, “Well we know what that was about, it was that Moslemic terrorism.

Read Rosie Ayliffe's full article here

"The Frenchman being held on suspicion of my daughter's murder is not an Islamic fundamentalist – he has never set foot in a mosque.

"It appears he wasn't allowed to appear in court this week because of safety concerns.

Rosie Ayliffe (L) and her daughter Mia (Rosie Ayliffe)

"Forgiveness and reparation are absolutely key, or violence escalates into something uncontrollable. And the person who killed Mia now has to live with the fact that they destroyed my daughter. If they feel no remorse, then surely they're a monster in human form, and what kind of life is that?

"At the moment the only way I can really cope with our loss is to think, Mia's time had come, and what happened in that hostel on Tuesday was her fate."

Mrs Ayliffe will write a blog for the Independent every day for the next week as she prepares to travel to Australia to collect Mia's ashes.

Smail Ayad, 29, has been charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, one count of serious animal cruelty and 12 counts of serious assault.

Police are investigating reports that the Frenchman had an unrequited romantic interest or an "obsession" with Miss

His case has been adjourned until 28 October.