Outback ‘rape’ victim treated in hospital before road trip

Detective Inspector Paul Hart, of the Queensland Police Service, told of how the woman was tracked down
Detective Inspector Paul Hart, of the Queensland Police Service, told of how the woman was tracked down
PA

A British backpacker who was allegedly taken hostage, repeatedly raped and forced on a 900-mile journey across the Australian outback sought hospital treatment for facial injuries before being found by police.

The 22-year-old woman from Liverpool was picked up by police on Sunday after they stopped the 4x4 she was driving in a remote area of Queensland.

Staff at a petrol station, near Mitchell, 400 miles west of Brisbane, contacted police after they noticed the woman’s distress and injuries, including bruising and black eyes. She later drove off without paying for fuel. When she was tracked down, police searched the vehicle and found a 22-year-old man hiding in a rear storage compartment.

The man, named by the authorities yesterday as Marcus Martin, faces 23 charges