Media Release
For immediate release – May 2025
Neo-Nazi Attack Survivor Minh Duong Leads Aussie Charity to the Global Stage
In one of Melbourne’s most shocking acts of racial violence, international student Minh Tuan Duong was bashed and left for dead by a group of neo-Nazis. A brick was smashed over his head with such force it split in two. Minh was found unconscious, alone, and barely clinging to life. Doctors did not expect him to survive.
After seeing Minh’s story on the TV news, Melbourne music teacher Adrian De Luca was deeply moved. He reached out and offered Minh free piano lessons. They had never met. That simple act of kindness became the beginning of something much larger.
But he was kicked out of the country before Minh could fully recover. His student visa was ripped up, and he was issued a travel ban, forced to leave while still traumatised and awaiting medical treatment.
In response, Adrian launched a public petition. 89,740 people signed it. The campaign gained national attention, and Minh was eventually allowed to return and complete his final year of studies.
Minh went on to rebuild his life from the ground up. Today, he is not only an Australian citizen but also a qualified CPA. His resilience is extraordinary, and his story is now helping change the system for others like him.
That first act of outreach would ultimately lead to the creation of the We Are Australia Foundation, a registered harm prevention charity.
The Foundation now supports international student victims of crime across Australia.
In 2025, the Foundation was shortlisted as a finalist in the @PIEoneerAwards—Student Support category. The ceremony, to be held in London this September, will place Minh’s story and the Foundation’s impact on the global stage.
“We don’t promise to give international students a voice. We promise to be their voice.”
Together, We Are Australia.
Media Contact:
Adrian De Luca
Founder & Director, We Are Australia Foundation
📧 adrian.deluca@weareaustralia.org
📞 0421 439 379
🌐 www.weareaustralia.org
