By Parker McKenzie
Victoria Police announced today a man has been arrested as a part of an investigation into a series of reported sexual assaults, abductions and stalkings in the Dandenong Ranges two decades ago, while appealing for witnesses to similar incidents to come forward.
Detective Inspector of the Sexual Crimes Squad Juliann Goldrick said the 71-year-old Drouin man was arrested without incident in Abbotsford around 8pm on Wednesday 13 July.
“He is currently being interviewed by detectives,” she said.
“He’s being interviewed in relation to two incidents currently, both of them occurred in 1998 and were the subject of intense investigation at the time.”
DI Goldrick said On 24 September 1998, a woman hitchhiking along Belgrave-Gembrook Road in Belgrave was picked up by a man in a vehicle who offered to give her a lift before “being taken to a remote area, threatened with a firearm and sexually assaulted before being dropped in Emerald.”
“Three months later, on the first of December 1998, A female was hitchhiking along Wellington Road in kilometres. She was picked up by a man who threatened her with a firearm, drove her to a remote area and sexually assaulted her before leaving her at the Belgrave railway station,” she said.
“Detectives are looking at any links between these matters and a number of other alleged incidents involving sexual assault, abduction and stalking in the Dandenong ranges area between 1996 and 2000.”
The incidents of interest involve a man approaching women in isolated areas and offering them a lift.
DI Goldrick said the victims are aged between 15 and 22.
“These incidents occurred in and around the Belgrave railway station Wellington Road, Belgrave-Gembrook Road in Belgrave, Selby and Menzies Creek,” she said.
“We believe a number of different vehicles were used by the male in the incidents, including a Toyota 4runner four-wheel-drive, maroon in colour.”
Police are appealing for anyone with further information regarding those or similar incidents, particularly women who were hitchhiking in the area at the time, to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report via the Victoria Police website at www.police.vic.gov.au/report.
DI Goldrick said even those who hitchhiked without incident in the area might have valuable information.
I’d like to acknowledge that it is possible that there are people out in the community who were sexually assaulted in similar circumstances,” she said.
“For whatever reason, they may not have come forward to police as yet. I ask you to consider coming forward and telling us your story.
“This includes women who were approached by a man in a vehicle in the Dandenong Ranges area, offered a ride and threatened with a weapon and sexually assaulted.”
