‘I’ve been kidnapped’ Backpacker raises alarm following abduction
A 24-year-old backpacker has made headlines this week after managing to initiate her own rescue following her abduction in Australia.
The female tourist, originally from Belgium, was abducted in Murraylands and subjected to a terrifying ordeal before managing to make contact with an acquaintance over 3,000 km away in Queensland.
According to Cosmopolitan, the young woman, who had her phone confiscated by her assailant, was driven to a remote farm house in the Adelaide town of Meningie before enduring multiple rapes at the hands of her abductor.
Thankfully, the 24-year-old managed to raise the alarm after secretly retrieving her laptop from her belongings and drafting a frantic message to the owner of the farm on which her friend was working.
The tourist, who has limited English, wrote: "I've been kidnapped, they've taken me out into the country two hours from Murray Bridge."
Offering further details into the message he received from the terrified tourist, farm owner, Chris Newman, said: "[It] described going over two ferries, [then it said] they've taken my phone, I've got my laptop out of my backpack and I've sent a message', or something like that."
In a courageous move, the young woman revealed the terrifying reality of her situation, adding: "I don't want to run away because he said he'll shoot me."
Following the tourist's desperate call for help, police in Adelaide launched a search before eventually locating the kidnapper's house.
According to reports, the victim's 52-year-old attacker has since been charged with three counts of rape and one count of unlawful detention.
Commenting on the crime, South Australia Premier, Jay Weatherill, said: "I hope this matter can be quickly investigated and the appropriate steps to bring the person to justice are taken."