Giant reward on offer to catch ‘devastating’ CBD laneway rapist
A woman, known as Amy, is still reeling more than a year after being viciously raped in a horrifying attack in the heart of the Melbourne CBD. Now, police are offering a mammoth reward in the hope of catching her depraved attacker.
Law & Order
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A year after a man carried out a brutal late-night sexual assault on a teenager in Melbourne’s CBD, a $500,000 reward has been offered to help catch the depraved offender.
An 18-year-old’s life changed forever when she was dragged into a laneway off Flinders St by a stranger about 1.45am on June 9 last year.
Her attacker came out of a hostel between Elizabeth St and Degraves St, following her down Swanston St, attempting to kiss her along the way, before forcing her into an alleway behind high metal gates.
The woman, known as Amy, managed to scream, eventually escaping the man and running back onto Flinders St, near the Young & Jackson Hotel.
She has spoken about her horrific ordeal for the first time as police today announce the half a million dollar reward.
“After such a traumatic incident, it had a very big effect on my life,” Amy, now 19, said.
“At first, I was just fully in denial, but it ended up making things more difficult for myself.
“I wasn’t able to focus at uni and eventually had to leave altogether.”
Police believe a number of people may have seen Amy running from the scene as the area was quite busy at the time.
Three good Samaritans approached her on Swanston St after noticing she was distressed, helping her organise transport home.
But it’s understood Amy didn’t tell the men she had been assaulted, with only one of those men having already spoken with police about that night.
Another man, who was captured on CCTV, is understood to have had contact with the victim around the time of the attack.
Police are wanting to speak to the man, described as being African in appearance, aged in his early 20s, around 178cm tall with a lean build.
He was wearing a black puffy jacket with red lining, light blue jeans and white runners on the night.
Sexual Crimes Squad boss, Detective Inspector Steve Wilson, is hopeful the reward would lead to someone coming forward with key information.
“This is a horrendous crime that occurred at what is probably the busiest intersection in Melbourne,” he said.
“We know that there were plenty of people around at that time so I’d urge anyone who remembers seeing anything on that night to come forward.
“It really doesn’t matter how small or insignificant you think that detail might be, it could be just what police need to progress this investigation.
“There is absolutely no doubt that this assault has had an enormous and detrimental impact on this victim’s life.
“To have something like this happen to one of the most vulnerable members of our community is just devastating.”
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A reward of up to $500,000 will be paid at the discretion of the Chief Commissioner of Police for information leading to the apprehension and subsequent conviction of the person or persons responsible for the sexual assault.