Woman abducted, sexually assaulted in latest Carlton attack
A SEXUAL predator has struck in Carlton again, abducting a woman from Lygon St before raping her. The latest attack comes just days after the murder of Eurydice Dixon at Princes Park.
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A GROUP of men who stopped to talk to a woman on a Carlton street before she was taken in a car and raped could hold information that will help solve the disturbing sex crime.
The trio came forward last night after CCTV footage was released showing them speaking to the victim before the assault.
Victoria Police spokeswoman Natalie Webster said the men went to Epping Police Station following media reports and appeals for information.
“Three men that Sexual Crime Squad detectives were hoping to identify as part of their ongoing investigation into a sexual assault on 17 June have been identified,” Ms Webster said.
“The men attended Epping police station yesterday evening and spoke with investigators.
No arrests have been made at this time and the investigation is ongoing.”
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The latest attack on a woman in the inner north — just days after the nearby rape and murder of Eurydice Dixon — has prompted stern warnings and promises from senior Victoria Police figures that they will hunt down and prosecute predators.
Undercover and uniformed police are now patrolling the suburbs around the University of Melbourne and Princes Park.
Following public outcry on the inclusion of safety messages in the wake of last week’s murder, police took the opportunity to deliver messages to the men responsible for sex attacks.
North West Metro Acting Commander Lisa Hardeman said there were no excuses for the crimes — nor were victims ever to be blamed.
“Pressuring or forcing somebody into unwanted sexual activity is a serious crime,” Ms Hardeman said.
“This behaviour is never justified.”
A woman aged in her 30s was so badly assaulted she had to be taken to hospital after arriving home to her partner in the early hours of Sunday.
Detectives have not ruled out the possibility multiple men were involved in the rape.
The woman was on the intersection of Grattan and Lygon streets about 4.30am on Sunday after a night out with friends at Retro nightclub in Melbourne’s CBD.
Her female friend went into a 7-Eleven to grab a late night snack and the pair became separated.
CCTV footage shows three men in a silver ute stop their car and talk to the victim, who was on the footpath near the intersection, with police considering the theory they were stopping to check on her welfare.
The cameras show another man walking nearby before leaving the area.
The men in the ute get back in the car and head north, and the other man walks away down the footpath.
What happened next is a mystery and police are trying to work out who might have then approached the woman.
The victim has been unable to remember details of the attack or whose car she was in, but there was sufficient evidence to suggest the rape was severe.
Sex Crimes Detective Inspector Steve Wilson said police were urging the men who were seen on CCTV, and any other people in the area at the time, to come forward as they likely saw something relevant — even if it’s the smallest clue.
“We then believe that the victim was taken by a vehicle from Carlton to her home in the vicinity of the northern suburbs,” he said.
“Somewhere along that journey we believe she was sexually assaulted by one or more persons.
“Her partner took her to hospital. It’s clearly a very serious assault on this young woman.”
He said everybody was entitled to have a night out enjoying the city and it was “unacceptable” that another woman’s enjoyable night had ended in “dire consequences” at the hands of violent sexual perpetrators.
Meanwhile, police released CCTV footage of a train creep who allegedly assaulted a woman in Thornbury last month.
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
March 28, 2018 | 2.35am
Gatehouse St near Bayles Crs
— Jessie 21, grabbed from behind in “bear hug” and sexually assaulted
— She escaped and sought help from a nearby house who called police
— Suspect aged between 25 and 35, olive skin, muscular build, “average height”, wearing blue or grey hooded jumper, grey jeans and runners with white soles
— No one has been arrested
— 1km away from where Eurydice Dixon’s body was found months later
PRINCES PARK MURDER, CARLTON NORTH
June 13, 2018 | 2.40am
Royal Pde, Carlton North
— A passer-by finds the body of a woman on a soccer pitch at Princes Park
— The woman is later identified as aspiring comedian Eurydice Dixon, 22
— Last seen walking home from a comedy gig at Highlander Bar in the CBD on June 12
— CCTV images are released of a man police want to speak to
— Jaymes Todd, 19, arrested and charged with one count each of rape and murder
CARLTON ABDUCTION AND ASSAULT
June 17, 2018 | 4.30am
Lygon St and Grattan St, Carlton
— The victim, aged in her 30s, had been out with friends after a night out at Retro Nightclub in the CBD.
— She becomes separated from her female friend, who went into a nearby 7-Eleven
— Three men in a silver top ute are seen speaking to her before driving off
— A camera shows another man walking nearby before leaving the area
— Police are treating the men in the ute as witnesses
— After the woman spoke to the men in the ute, she was abducted and raped possibly by multiple offenders
— Victim unable to remember details of the attack or the car she was in
— Sufficient evidence to suggest the rape was severe
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.