Police are appealing for assistance to find those responsible for the rape and assault of a young woman in Melbourne’s south-east more than 40 years ago.
One man has been convicted following advancements in DNA technology, however three men remain on the run.
Detectives said a 19-year-old woman was trying to hail a taxi when four men forced her into a Ford sedan with a black stripe on the side, near Redan Street in St Kilda, about 2am on December 12, 1982.
The woman was driven to a deserted spot by the Brighton Beach foreshore, where each of the men sexually assaulted her.
She was pushed out of the car after the assault and the men fled the scene before the woman was found by some passersby, who notified police.
Sexual Crimes Squad Detective Inspector Mark Burnett said the attack had “life-changing consequences for the victim”.
“She still suffers the physical and emotional impacts of this on a daily basis,” he said.
An investigation was conducted at the time and the forensic exhibits were stored.
After advancements in DNA technology, the exhibits were re-tested and a DNA profile of an alleged offender was matched to someone already in the system.
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A 51-year-old man was convicted of abduction, false imprisonment, three counts of rape and aggravated rape in 2016.
He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment with a minimum term of five years.
Burnett said despite the breakthrough arrest, three more men were still on the run.
“While someone has already been charged in relation to this assault, that does not mean the investigation ends there,” he said.
“We believe there were three other men involved in this incident, and we are determined to pursue every avenue of inquiry we can to provide answers to the victim after over 40 years.”
Police are keen to speak with anyone who has any information about the incident or who may have been responsible.
“If you know anything about this incident, then now is the time for you to come forward and speak to us,” Burnett said.
“Historical sexual offending matters are incredibly complex, but we know people’s circumstances can change over time, and this appeal might be the prompt needed to help close a terrible chapter in someone’s life.”
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