Jogger was allegedly raped, had head held under water during horrific Merri Creek trail attack

A 25-year-old man allegedly raped a young female jogger multiple times, held her head under water and strangled her during a horrific attack off a popular walking trail near Merri Creek in Melbourne's north.

Police have increased patrols along the Merri Creek Trail in Coburg after the woman, aged in her 20s, was attacked while she was out jogging in daylight about 6.30pm on Tuesday.

Coburg man Joel Russo, 25, was arrested about 1am on Wednesday - several hours after the alleged attack - after he allegedly tried to rob a service station on Lygon Street in Carlton.

Mr Russo allegedly held the woman's head under water during the assault, which placed her in danger of death, and also strangled her.

Other details of the alleged attack are too graphic for publication.

The alleged assault is the latest in a series of unrelated attacks on women in public spaces in Melbourne's northern suburbs.

Comedian Eurydice Dixon, 22, was raped and murdered in Princes Park in June 2018.

In January, international student Aiia Maasarwe, 21, was attacked and killed as she walked home in Bundoora, and Courtney Herron, 25, was bashed to death in Royal Park in May.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/jogger-allegedly-raped-head-held-under-water-during-horrific-merri-creek-trail-attack-20191205-p53hbk.html

As a keen jogger myself this attack hits close to home

its terrible isnt it.. maybe they need more lighting  or maybe people should stay away from these areas unless there is a large presence of walkers around....

sadly its how its going... more cameras even.....how ard is it to put up cameras in isolated places.....ask yourself what a bloke doing walking around places like this at these hours...... ::) ::)

Drugs and insanity.. personal choice of lifestyle, innit? 

Life without....

Truly we need a Devil's Island...

wonder if he is on prescription drugs ..

Grappler Racist Filth wrote on Dec 7^th, 2019 at 10:49am:

Drugs and insanity.. personal choice of lifestyle, innit?  Life without.... Truly we need a Devil's Island...

maybe this is it grap?.... we seem to be getting worse at just about everything   since coming here there has been a huge deterioration in our behavior

cods wrote on Dec 7^th, 2019 at 10:44am:

its terrible isnt it.. maybe they need more lighting  or maybe people should stay away from these areas unless there is a large presence of walkers around.... sadly its how its going... more cameras even.....how ard is it to put up cameras in isolated places.....ask yourself what a bloke doing walking around places like this at these hours...... ::) ::)

Just for a bit of context, It occurred at 6-30pm which is still daylight and that part of the Merri Creek trail is only about 10km from the city centre.

As a 200cm male, I can go jogging where ever and when ever I please. Sadly that's not the case for women.