Crime15 July, 20263 min read
Man Tries Sexually Assaulting Two Women Near Gardiners Creek; Dogs Chase Him Into Monash Freeway Tunnel
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Two women, aged 67 and 39, were allegedly targeted for sexual assault near Gardiners Creek. A pack of eight dogs chased the man away.
Attempted assault in Kooyong
A man allegedly jumped from a bush and tried to sexually assault two women while they walked their dogs near Gardiners Creek in Kooyong on Tuesday, prompting a criminal investigation by Victoria Police. 7NEWS said the man fled with eight dogs in tow into a Melbourne freeway tunnel moments after the alleged attack at about 11.30am, and police described the women as a 67-year-old from Toorak and a 39-year-old from Glen Iris. Victoria Police said the man put his arms around one of the dogwalkers, but she managed to push him away, and he then tried to pull the other woman towards him before she also escaped.
The pursuit ended when “The victims’ dogs then chased the male into a nearby tunnel under the Monash Freeway,” according to officers, and police said a piece of the man’s clothing was torn off during the chase. The Age reported the incident was captured on footage showing the man running from a pack of eight dogs along the banks of Gardiners Creek after he attempted to grab the two women at around 11.30am.
Police images and witness reactions
Victoria Police released a facial composite of the man they want to speak to, describing him as being of African appearance and wearing a black and grey hooded top, a black face covering, black tracksuit pants, white socks, and slides, while carrying a large, bright blue backpack. 7NEWS said the Bayside Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team is treating the incident as an attempted sexual assault and appealed for witnesses, while the women were reported to be OK after the incident. The Nightly quoted a police spokesperson saying the man then attempted to drag the other woman towards him but “she also managed to push him away”.
Community reaction in the 7NEWS report included one person saying, “It’s the third incident here over a number of years,” and another adding, “It’s kind of shocking that sort of thing does happen but it’s awesome the dogs were there to step in.” In the same 7NEWS account, police said the dogs chased the male into a nearby tunnel under the Monash Freeway and even tore off a piece of his clothing.
Investigation and what’s next
Victoria Police confirmed they are investigating an alleged sexual assault in the area and urged witnesses to come forward, while also releasing the facial composite image of the man. The Age said police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, and it described the man’s clothing and backpack as matching what was seen in the video. News.au reported that police released an image with the man’s likeness and said the incident sparked a criminal investigation after an “unknown male jumped out of a bush and put his arms around” one of the women before she “managed to push him away”.
In the same News.au account, police said the man then tried to pull the other woman towards him and “she also managed to push him away,” before the victims’ dogs chased him into a nearby tunnel under the Monash Freeway. The Nightly added that footage shows a man wearing a grey hoodie and a blue backpack being chased by at least six dogs of various breeds, sizes and levels of aggression, and at one point a small blue healer latches onto the man’s pants and tears a piece of fabric away.