The grief-stricken mother of killed Chinese student Michelle Leng has spoken publicly of her devastation at losing her daughter, several years after she lost her husband in an earthquake.
With her head slightly bowed, Mei Zhang silently wept before a swarm of cameras and reporters who had gathered for the family's press conference on the 42nd floor of the Citigroup Centre in Sydney's CBD.
Supported by family members as well as high-profile members of the Chinese community, Mrs Zhang read a statement, describing her relationship with her daughter as one of "deep intimacy".
"We even today still cannot accept the fact that she has left us and we are still in great suffering," she said, speaking through a translator.
"You can never imagine how painful it is for me."
Mrs Zhang was told by NSW homicide detectives last Friday her 25-year-old daughter, who had been missing since April 21, had been stabbed to death. Mrs Zhang's brother-in law, Derek Barrett, 27, was charged with Ms Leng's murder later that day.
She then flew into Sydney from Chengdu, China, last weekend.
Mrs Zhang said she and her daughter, who is also known by her Chinese name Mengmei, had formed a close and sustaining bond after her husband was killed in an earthquake, leaving them "dependent on no one, only each other".
"The time will never turn back to when Mengmei and I were living happily together."
Her daughter, who had recently graduated with a business degree from the University of Technology, Sydney, had always dreamt of studying in Sydney, she said.
Mrs Zhang thanked the Chinese community for their "vigorous support", which she said began as soon as the family circulated a missing person's report shortly after Ms Leng's disappeared after a shopping trip on April 21.
She also thanked the NSW police for "handling the case so efficiently".
Alluding to earlier unfounded reports that Ms Leng had met a lover on a dating site before she died, she said her family rejected all "unauthentic reports and rumours and reasonable guesses via social media" and asked for privacy.
As she concluded her statement, Mrs Zhang stood before the cameras and bowed before falling back in her chair in tears.
Too distraught to answer questions, she was led by family members from the room.
Ms Leng's naked body was discovered floating face-down in the Snapper Point blowhole in the Lake Munmorah national park on Sunday, April 24 about 10.30am. She had been stabbed at least 20 times.
She remained unidentified for three days until police matched a computer generated image of her with a missing person's report lodged by her family on Anzac Day.
It will be alleged Mr Barrett murdered the 25-year-old student at their home in Campsie, in south-western Sydney, before dumping her body in the ocean more than 100 kilometres away.
On Wednesday, Mr Barrett's lawyer told reporters his client would fight the charges and would be making a bail application in the near future.
His matter is due to return to court on June 29.
