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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

Police investigate kidnapping bid by woman on another woman

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Police are investigating an attempted kidnapping in Warrnambool, Victoria, where a woman was attacked while walking home from work.
  • The victim fought off her assailant, but the attacker stole her phone and fled in a hire car.
  • Authorities have released images of a woman they believe was involved and are seeking public assistance.

Victoria Police are investigating an attempted kidnapping that occurred in the southwestern town of Warrnambool earlier this month. The incident took place on July 7 around 4:30 p.m. as a 33-year-old woman was walking home from work on Willow Tree Lane.

This was a targeted incident in which we believe the woman involved was tasked by a man linked to the victim.

— Detective Acting Sergeant Joe FisherExplaining the nature of the crime and the suspected involvement of a third party.

According to authorities, another woman grabbed the victim from behind and attempted to force her into a hire car. The victim bravely fought back, managing to escape the assault. However, the offender stole her phone before fleeing the scene in a 2016 Hyundai i30.

Our aim today is to identify the woman involved, and we believe someone will know who she is.

— Detective Acting Sergeant Joe FisherAppealing to the public for help in identifying the suspect.

Police have released images of a woman they believe was tasked with carrying out the kidnapping. She is described as Caucasian, between 20 and 30 years old, with blonde curly hair, wearing a black hoodie and pink hiking pants. Detective Acting Sergeant Joe Fisher stated that they believe the woman was hired by a man living overseas who is known to the victim. "Our aim today is to identify the woman involved, and we believe someone will know who she is," Fisher said, appealing for public assistance and any additional CCTV or dash cam footage from the area.

The victim was very brave, and I thank goodness she was able to get away. Luckily, she was not seriously injured.

— Detective Acting Sergeant Joe FisherPraising the victim's bravery and noting her lack of serious physical injury.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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