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British backpacker beaten and raped in eight-week ordeal in outback Australia, police say British backpacker beaten and raped in eight-week ordeal in outback Australia, police say
(35 minutes later)
A British backpacker has survived a two-month ordeal in which she was allegedly beaten, choked and raped after police found her injured behind the wheel of a four-wheel-drive in outback Queensland. A young British tourist allegedly held captive and repeatedly raped, bashed and choked during a two-month road trip through Queensland’s outback has been found during a routine traffic stop.
The 22-year-old woman allegedly had serious facial injuries and was extremely distressed when police pulled over a four-wheel drive on the Warrego Highway at Mitchell on Sunday afternoon. The 22-year-old was rescued on Sunday afternoon when police pulled over a four-wheel-drive at Mitchell, about 600km west of Brisbane, and found the terrified and injured woman at the wheel.
Police say they found her alleged attacker, also 22, from the Cairns suburb of Manunda, hiding in a storage alcove that had been built into the back of the vehicle. She had facial fractures, bruises and cuts and when officers searched the vehicle, they found her alleged attacker hiding in a storage alcove in the back.
Police will allege the woman met the Cairns man three months ago and they agreed to go on a road trip. But it turned into a long, violent nightmare. The 22-year-old man, from the Cairns suburb of Manunda, has already faced court on more than 20 charges. They include four counts of rape, eight counts of assault, four of strangulation and two of deprivation of liberty. He is also facing drug charges.
The man faced Roma magistrates court on Monday, on charges including four counts of rape, eight counts of assault, four counts of strangulation and two of deprivation of liberty. He is also facing drug charges. “We would certainly say that what’s happened to this young lady is quite catastrophic,” Detective Inspector Paul Hart told ABC radio. “There are numerous supports that have been put in place [for the victim].”
It is alleged the man held the woman against her will and assaulted her at various locations across Queensland between 2 January and 5 March. Police said the British woman met her alleged attacker in Cairns, and they decided to embark on a road trip that quickly turned into a living nightmare.
The woman has been treated for facial fractures, bruises and cuts to her body. It’s alleged she was subjected to a series of sustained sexual and other attacks between 2 January and 5 March, on a journey that stretched at least 1360km from Cairns in the far north and south to the outback town of Roma.
The man was remanded in custody to reappear at a later date. Police say the woman was rescued after a routine traffic stop on the Warrego Highway at Mitchell, just west of Roma, about 5pm on Sunday.
“It appears she was terrified and not able to hide that [from officers],” police said on Tuesday.
Investigators were still trying to piece together the pair’s movements, including where they might have stopped. The Cairns man remains in custody after facing a court in Roma on Monday.Comment has been sought from the British High Commission.