Alleged Sydney teen subjected to six-hour gang rape ordeal

News.com.au

4 hours ago

*Content warning: This article may contain details readers could find distressing*
NSW detectives used covert strategies to gather evidence against two teens they allege were involved in the vicious gang rape of a Sydney teen.
The 17-year-old alleged victim of a horrific, six-hours-long gang rape was doing what any teenage girl might do in the lead-up to Christmas.
It was a Sunday afternoon in December last year and she was shopping at Westfield Liverpool — one of the biggest shopping centres in Sydney's southwest and one that would've been buzzing with shoppers.
Acting police commissioner Peter Thurtell told news.com.au that covert strategies to identify the roles of each alleged offender were put in place, 'both physical and electronic surveillance was used extensively'.
'The moment officers knew they could throw the book at them, arrests were made,' Mr Thurtell said.
'If there is anyone who is a champion of public and community safety in this regard it is the head of the Sex Crimes Squad Detective Superintendent Jane Dougherty and her team.'
Mr Thurtell said the 'horrific crime of this nature' drives our investigators to be meticulous in gathering evidence in order to get an 'irrefutable conviction'.
'Our thoughts are with the victim and her family who will undoubtedly have to live with this sickening attack for the rest of their lives.
Detectives have worked tirelessly and done an outstanding job bringing these people before the courts.'
About 5.30pm, she was approached by a 16-year-old boy who was 'charismatic' and began a 'friendly conversation' with her that 'wasn't about having sex', police say.
'He was a charismatic young man talking to a young girl of similar age. There wasn't any idea at that point ... of where this was going to end up,' Superintendent Jayne Doherty told reporters on Tuesday.
The young girl did not know him, but police allege she 'reluctantly' allowed him into her car.
The pair drove eight minutes west to quiet Wheat Park in Sadlier, a local soccer pitch surrounded by suburban homes on all sides.
Supt Doherty said the teen 'agreed to sit and talk' but drove to the park 'feeling that was the only way to get him out of the car'.
Once there, police say, her life was changed forever.
The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is accused of raping the teen in her vehicle, filming certain parts of the rape and making a video call to his friends.
Police claim her ordeal was not over there. They say two more teenage boys got into the car and allegedly sexually assaulted the girl.
They were allegedly soon joined by a fourth man who arrived in another car. The four teens — one of whom is aged just 14 — allegedly took control of the girl's car and raped her during a twisted and 'erratic' joyride.
'(The group allegedly) took control of the vehicle and drove her in her own car around the suburbs of Sadleir and Miller,' Supt Doherty said.
'They (allegedly) drove rather erratically throughout the time and continued to degrade and assault this victim as they were driving around.'
Police allege that during this time, the group of males 'acted together' and created 'fear on the victim', 'degrading her while the others offended against her'.
'At times, there was (allegedly) more than one person offending against this poor girl,' Supt Doherty said.
The entire ordeal lasted six hours, ending long after dark about 11.30pm. Once free, the 'very distraught' teenage girl contacted a friend and reported what had happened to police.
The four teenage boys have been charged with the sexual assault. They are aged 14, 16, 18 and 19.
The 16-year-old boy was arrested at Condell Park five days after the alleged rape last year. He was charged with 24 offences including nine charges of sexual intercourse without consent, eight charges of aggravated sex assault-offender in company with other person/s, two of aggravated sexual assault in company and inflict actual bodily harm, and five of sexually touch another person without consent.
Detectives also arrested a 14-year-old boy the same day.
He was charged with 10 offences including seven counts of aggravated sex assault-offender in company with other person/s, aggravated sexual assault in company and inflict actual bodily harm, aggravated sexually touch another person, and sexually touch another person without consent.
The 18-year-old and 19-year-old alleged offenders were arrested on Tuesday morning.
Dramatic police footage captured the dawn arrest of the eldest of the alleged group, Adam Abdul-Hamid, in Heckenberg.
The teen was taken to Liverpool Police Station and charged with five counts of aggravated sex assault-offender in company with other persons.
The two younger alleged offenders were refused bail and appeared before a children's court in December last year. Detectives continued to investigate the incident and, after extensive inquiries, searched homes at Sadleir and Heckenberg this week.
A neighbour told news.com.au Mr Abdul-Karim moved the family home nine years ago.
She said that her son, who is a similar age, played with Mr Abdul-Karim growing up.
'Then they both got older and the parents basically told him to stop coming over,' she said.
She said Mr Abdul-Karim was into motorcycles and a big family who lived in the home.
'We've just tried to keep our distance mostly in recent years, but he's always said hello to us,' she said.
Arrest footage showed the man's family members swarming the police and shouting as he was ushered out of the house.
'What have you done to him?' one screamed as police walked through the front yard.
A woman could also be heard shouting: 'Shut your mouth, don't say a word' in Arabic.
Police and community react to alleged gang rape
'The (alleged) victim in this case did nothing wrong. It beggars belief that in this day and age that men would (allegedly) think to act this way towards a girl,' Supt Doherty said.
'And to (allegedly) act not just instantaneously, but over a six-hour period, continuing to act together and encourage each other and degrade the victim in the way that they did.
'That type of thinking in any person is just unbelievable and unacceptable to any standards.'
She said the young age of the alleged offenders was 'concerning' and described the alleged assault as 'predetermined'.
'It beggars belief that someone as young as 14 could (allegedly) have these beliefs and actions,' she said.
'They've (allegedly) gone over six hours — they haven't stopped at a point during that six hours and said, this is wrong, to any of their co-offenders.'
So brutal was the alleged offending, that seasoned investigators were left 'shocked', Supt Doherty said.
'It's horrific,' she said.
NSW Premier, Chris Minns said: 'This is an unimaginable ordeal for this young woman, the allegations are just abhorrent. Those responsible must face the full force of the law.'
'I commend the bravery of the young woman who came forward and the tireless work of NSW Police in bringing these alleged offenders into custody.
'To that end, there is nothing more important here than getting justice for this young woman.'