Chilling message Belgian backpacker ‘abducted and raped by man off Gumtree’ sent to pal while in captivity in Australia
The 24-year-old woman was said to have been kidnapped by a man who answered her ad on Gumtree
A BELGIAN backpacker allegedly abducted and raped in Australia sent a message to her only friend in the country containing vital clues to her location.
The 24-year-old woman - said to have been kidnapped by a man who answered her ad on Gumtree seeking farm work - wrote from captivity: "I don’t want to run away because he said he’ll shoot me".
Her note also described how she got to the remote farm where she was allegedly held near Adelaide, South Australia.
While there she was able to sneak her laptop out of her backpack and message her friend, who was nearly 2,000 miles away working at a farm on the other side of the country in the north of Queensland.
The friend, whose English is not strong, alerted farm owner Chris Newman, 61.
He told the Adelaide Advertiser: “(The message said) 'I’ve been kidnapped, they’ve taken me out into the country two hours from Murray Bridge'.
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“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.
“It said, ‘I don’t want to run away because he said he’ll shoot me’, something to that extent.”
He said the two women had met when they worked together in China and kept in touch, texting each other once or twice a week.
He added: "Her English is not the best, but she said, 'I don't know what to do, I don't even know the number for the police'.
“She was the only friend she (the victim) had in Australia.”
A manhunt was launched after the alleged victim also managed to get a desperate message to her family in Europe who alerted police in Australia.
On Friday she was found at a motel in the town of Murray Bridge, and the following day cops swooped on a farm in Meningie where they arrested a 52-year-old man.
He is alleged to have abducted the backpacker from Murray Bridge on Thursday and taken her to a remote Meningie farm house, held her against her will and raped her.
He is due in court on Monday charged with three counts of rape and unlawful detention.
The backpacker, who had also visited Tasmania and Sydney on her trip, posted on Gumtree last week seeking a farm or fruit-picking job near Melbourne.
She said alongside a picture of herself with a kangaroo: "'I'm looking for these jobs in Melbourne starting 30 of January. With accommodation stay or hostel nearby. Cuz I don't have a car.
"I love nature and animals, I eat fruit every day;) it would be nice to do a job like this. If you have something please let me know. Thx."
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