Victoria Police’s Sexual Crimes Squad posts reward to help solve schoolgirl gang rape
Victoria Police’s Sexual Crimes Squad has posted a reward to help solve the cold case gang rape of a schoolgirl who was abducted and later abused by three sexual predators in 1985.
Law & Order
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New evidence in a cold case has today prompted police to post a $350,000 reward in the hope of catching the violent sex fiends who abducted and gang raped a schoolgirl.
She was kidnapped by two masked perverts in 1985 as she was about to get in her car after finishing her part-time job selling flowers in restaurants on South Yarra’s Chapel St entertainment strip.
The screaming 18-year-old was dragged into their car in nearby Bray St about 10pm on November 24 before being bound, gagged and blindfolded as she struggled in the back seat.
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Her kidnappers then drove the terrified teenager to an unknown property where she was seriously sexually assaulted over a number of hours while still blindfolded.
Susan, not her real name, later told police at least three men were involved in raping her before she was dumped on Yarra Boulevard in Richmond about 1am on the morning after she was grabbed.
Victoria Police’s Sexual Crimes Squad is today releasing a dramatic video re-enactment of the schoolgirl’s abduction in the hope it will jog the memories of any witnesses.
Detectives particularly want to talk to a man the victim said made eye contact with her in Bray St as she was being forced into the car the sexual predators used to kidnap her.
“From what we’ve been able to find, he has never spoken to police. However, we believe he could have information that is crucial to this investigation,” squad head Steve Wilson told the Sunday Herald Sun.
“He saw her while she was being dragged into the car. He is effectively an eye witness to it. We are very keen to talk to him.”
Detective Inspector Wilson said the cowardly attack on the defenceless teenager — who the family has asked not to be identified — was particularly brutal.
“Our victim was still at school at the time of the abduction and assault — she was really just a kid,” he said.
“She was studying for her final year exams and ended up delaying them while she coped with the aftermath.”
Sadly, the victim died in November 2008 at the age of 41 without ever seeing the rapists punished.
The victim’s younger brother and one of her female friends, who asked not to be named, on Saturday said Susan was incredibly brave in the way she coped with the attack on her — but that it changed her attitude to men.
“Susan was such a resilient, energetic, vibrant, zany character and personality,” her friend said.
“She’s the kind of person that even though something horrible had happened to her she didn’t let it get in the way of living her life to the fullest.
“She became less trusting of males in her life, she valued sex a whole lot less.
“She had a totally different outlook on relationships to the rest of us as a group of girlfriends.
“It really did have a very long lasting effect on the way she interacted with males in the community.”
Susan’s brother appealed to anyone who knew anything about the abduction to “come forward and do the right thing”.
Det-Insp Wilson said he believed the $350,000 reward and the re-enactment would help solve the case.
“This horrific incident may have happened over 30 years ago, however, ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice remains as important to us as ever,” he said yesterday.
“We started reinvestigating the case back in 2017 after we received some credible new information that warranted us looking at it again.
“As a consequence of the reinvestigation we started to see that it clearly was a solvable case for us.”
Det-Insp Wilson said it was likely the offenders had committed other sex crimes before and after the 1985 attack on the schoolgirl.
“We are investigating this even though the victim is dead because the offenders are still out there and it is not inconceivable that they will have committed other offences.
“That’s reason enough for us to reinvestigate this crime and bring those people to justice.
“It would be highly unlikely that this type of sexual offending would be the first and only offence that these people have committed.”
Det-Insp Wilson said it was possible if one of the three offenders was prepared to give evidence against the others, providing he wasn’t the principal perpetrator, that he could be indemnified from prosecution and be eligible to collect the $350,000 reward.
“Ultimately the indemnity would be a decision for the Director of Public Prosecutions, but it’s possible one of the three offenders could get it,” he said.
Det-Insp Wilson said the victim had shown great strength of character to go on with her life in the way she did after the attack on her.
“She lived overseas and was known as a very active person,” he said.
“I really hope that this reward and the renewed investigation honours her memory, and hopefully reinforces that we don’t give up on these investigations - no matter how much time has passed.”
Det-Insp Wilson urged anyone with information about the rape of the schoolgirl to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at crimestoppers.com.au