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Backpacker ‘screaming for help’ after escaping alleged attacker in South Australia Foreign backpackers in alleged kidnap and sex assault at South Australia campsite
(about 5 hours later)
Two backpackers suffered serious injuries in South Australia when they were allegedly attacked and raped by a man, with one of them managing to escape to get help from nearby fishermen. Two female foreign backpackers were allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted by an Australian man in an isolated region of South Australia, who is now facing charges including attempted murder.
A 59-year-old man has been charged with a string of offences including unlawful sexual intercourse and attempted murder. The women had met their alleged attacker in a rural area more than 100km from Adelaide. The man drove them to a campsite at Salt Creek in Coorong national park, where he allegedly kidnapped, sexually assaulted and attempted to kill the women.
The attack on the two female foreign backpackers in their 20s allegedly occurred at a campsite at Salt Creek in Coorong national park, about 150km south-east of Adelaide, on Tuesday. Police were called after one of the women escaped her alleged attacker and found a group of fishermen camping on a nearby beach. One of the fishermen told the Adelaide Advertiser the woman ran towards him, screaming: “He’s going to kill us all.”
Fishermen helped rescue the two women when one of them managed to escape and ran screaming through the bush. A 59-year-old South Australian man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder and unlawful sexual intercourse with the two women. The man did not apply for bail and was taken into custody on Thursday.
The women met the man on Tuesday and set up camp with plans to spend the night at the beach, but then found themselves in a “dire” situation. At a media conference on Thursday, South Australian police superintendent James Blandford said the women were found in a “dire” situation.
“One of the victims was able to run away and came across some people who were fishing in the area and they were able to comfort and secure her and make phone calls to police,” Supt James Blandford told reporters. “Given the nature of the charges, their situation was obviously very dire and they were somewhat distressed,” he said. “One of the victims was able to run away and came across some people who were fishing in the area,” he said.
One of those men was fisherman Abdul-Karim Mohammed, who said the scene was confronting with the woman screaming, crying and yelling. “They were able to comfort and secure her and make a call to the police.”
“First of all she just started waving,” he told Seven News. The second woman was later found by rescuers in the sand dunes. The woman had sustained serious injuries.
“She looked at us. She didn’t know what was going on. She ran straight to the car yelling. She opened the back door, jumped straight in and like ‘Get me out of here, get me out of here. He’s going to kill us all.’ One of the fishermen, Abdul-Karim Mohammed, said the scene was confronting, with the woman screaming, crying and yelling.
“First of all she just started waving,” he told Seven News. “She looked at us. She didn’t know what was going on. She ran straight to the car yelling. She opened the back door, jumped straight in and like ‘Get me out of here, get me out of here. He’s going to kill us all.’
“First of all she had no clothes on so we just straight away gave her our jacket.“First of all she had no clothes on so we just straight away gave her our jacket.
“She had some scratches and that on the legs. Look liked she’d been pulled around, dragged around and that.”“She had some scratches and that on the legs. Look liked she’d been pulled around, dragged around and that.”
One of the victims has since been released from hospital. The other remains in a stable condition. A police statement issued on Wednesday said: “At 6.30pm on Tuesday 9 February, police were called to the Coorong national park after reports of an assault. Two women were transported to the Flinders medical centre with serious injuries. Both remain at the hospital in a stable condition.”
Coorong district council mayor Neville Jaensch described the attack as a reminder that people need to be wary of “stranger danger”. “The 59-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder and kidnapping.”
“We regard the Coorong as a very safe area ... and it is a tragedy. The heroes of this are the young men and the other members of the community,” he told ABC radio on Thursday. “Murray Bridge CIB [Criminal Investigation Branch] are investigating and Major Crime Investigation Branch detectives are assisting.”
Appearing in the Adelaide magistrates court via video link on Wednesday, the accused made no comment and did not apply for bail.
The court suppressed the man’s name and police have not revealed the women’s nationalities to protect their identities.The court suppressed the man’s name and police have not revealed the women’s nationalities to protect their identities.
The man will face court again in April.