DNA Links Six Central Coast Beach Attacks: Public Assistance Sought
Between 1997 and 2000, six girls and women were assaulted or sexually assaulted at beaches on the New South Wales Central Coast. The suspect in each case was described similarly, but crimes were previously unlinked. DNA analysis has now determined the same individual was responsible for all six attacks.
This development marks the first time police have confirmed a single perpetrator for all incidents. Authorities are now seeking public assistance to identify the offender.
Investigation Breakthrough
Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty, Sex Crimes Squad Commander, stated that advances in DNA technology have linked the six crimes.
Details of the Attacks
The assaults occurred across three years at various Central Coast beaches:
- October 1997: A 23-year-old woman was forcibly and indecently touched at Shelly Beach.
- Six months later: A 52-year-old woman was sexually assaulted on Forresters Beach.
- Later in 1998: A 16-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on a bushwalking track at Forresters Beach.
- April 1999: A 16-year-old girl was kicked, punched, and indecently assaulted at Budgewoi Beach.
- A fortnight later: A 16-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on a walking trail at Putty Beach after attempting to flee.
- 2000: A 77-year-old woman was grabbed and pulled to the ground by a man at Wamberal, who then fled after her screams alerted a resident.
New Lead Identified
Police have identified a vehicle believed to have been driven by the offender at the time: a white Toyota utility vehicle with a blue trailer. Superintendent Doherty has urged anyone with information about this vehicle or the driver between 1997 and 2000 to come forward. The offender, described as being in his 40s at the time, would now be in his 70s.
Commitment to Victims
Superintendent Doherty confirmed that police actively work to reopen cases using forensic DNA, emphasizing their commitment to victims.
She encouraged any potential additional victims to report to police or seek victim services, stating that such reports can provide a broader understanding of the offender's activities.
Police also affirmed their ongoing efforts to solve these cases.