In 1982, a 21-year-old woman was sexually assaulted on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia. After her attacker grabbed her from behind, pushed her to the ground, choked and violated her, he told her he knew where she lived and he would kill her if she told anyone about the ordeal. He got up and walked off. According to the survivor, his name was Stephen.
Now, over two decades later, detectives with the Sexual Crimes Squad are hoping that new information will help them crack the case.
According to a statement from the Victoria Police, the incident took place on May 6, while the woman was on her way back from work.
The report sad that it was about midnight and she was walking back to her car, parked by the Yarra River.
The woman walked through the CBD to Swanston Street and into Batman Avenue, hoping to catch a tram but she missed the tram.
"She remembers noticing a man wearing a white suit and carrying a briefcase at the tram stop. Across the road from the tram stop, she recalls seeing a young man leaning up against a blue-stone wall and looking down at the river," the report read.
Realising she had missed the tram, she walked along the river bank towards her car.
She noticed that the man had been following her and she walked faster towards her car.
The report said the man caught up with the survivor and grabbed her by the neck, from behind.
The woman reported the attack to police.
Investigating teams are appealing for information to catch the perpetrator.
Detective Inspector Mark Burnett of the Sexual Crimes Squad said the attacker has lived the last 40 years with relative freedom.
“Historical investigations are unique in that updates to science, methodology and legislation allow us to progress a case in a way that may not have been possible at the time of the incident, so receiving information even 40 years later can still make an enormous difference,” he said.
He is hopeful that someone knows something about this case and is able to bring closure.
IOL