Man posing as police officer rapes two women after breaking into their hotel rooms during coronavirus lockdown
An Australian man has been accused of posing as a police officer and raping two women who were staying at an Adelaide hotel in coronavirus isolation.
This past Monday, March 30, the Adelaide Magistrates Court heard how the first victim heard a knock on her door at around 8.30 pm on Friday, March 27, and found the attacker, a 31-year-old man, standing outside.
The man allegedly told her he was a policeman and produced a form of ID before informing her he was checking on her welfare amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has seen more than 4,000 people across the country infected.
"She's been in isolation, she's from New South Wales — it was day 14 of her isolation," prosecutors said. "There was a knock at the door and the male provided a police ID card. He said he was checking on her due to the coronavirus so she let the male in."
She let him into her room, which was when he handcuffed her to the lounge, pulled a handgun on her and demanded money.
Prosecutors said the victim gave him $400, but then he flashed his gun a second time, prompting her to give him a further $6,200. After taking the money from her, he raped her, the court heard.
"She stated to him that she would have no money to buy food so he handed back $400," they told the court.
The man then went over to the hotel room of the second victim, who was reportedly waiting for her male travel companion to return. At around 10.45 pm, the travel companion walked in with a "police officer" who proceeded to threaten her with a handgun.
"He told her that she would go to prison if she was not quarantining and the only way she would not go to prison is if she had sex with him," prosecutors said.
The 31-year-old then made the male travel companion stay in the bathroom while he allegedly raped the second woman.
The man, whose identity has not been revealed for legal reasons, is charged with two counts of rape and impersonating a police officer. He appeared in court via video link from the police cells and had his application for home detention denied by Magistrate Greg Fisher, who deemed his offenses too serious.
He is scheduled to return to court in July. His lawyer, Andrew Ey, has denied the allegations.
Daily Mail reported that thousands of Australians are currently being quarantined under police guard in hotels around the country after returning home from overseas.
All those who arrived at international terminals of airports will be screened and placed under the close watch of border force officials for a 14-day isolation period before they are given the all-clear to return home.
Border force guards are said to be watching each floor, with those in isolation warned that they will be fined $1,000 if they leave their hotel room and break quarantine. Breaking the quarantine multiple times will result in a jail sentence.