One evening she had just crossed over Flinders Lane and was walking down the last stretch of cobbled path toward Flinders Street, when she heard rapid footsteps behind her.   Before she could turn round two long arms grabbed her from behind and started dragging her deeper into the darkness, away from the nearest neon light.

“Just lie still, don’t struggle, and I won’t hurt you,” whispered the man, in a surprisingly gentle sounding voice as he undressed her.   He took great care removing her clothing, rather than ripping them away as Anne-Marie had expected him to do.

“Please don’t fight me,” whispered the man as he forced himself onto her.   “I don’t want to hurt you…I’m sorry about this,” he apologised, stroking her long, brown hair, trying to comfort her as Anne-Marie cried out from pain when he took her virginity.   “Oh my God, I’m sorry.   I’m sorry, I wish I didn’t have to do this…If only there were some other way.   I’m sorry “

The rape seemed to go on for hours and all the way through the man continued to apologise and beg his victim to forgive him.   By the time he ejaculated into her body they were both crying softly: Anne-Marie from shock and pain; the rapist from obvious heartfelt guilt.

Finally the man finished and climbed off her.   He straightened his own clothing, then helped Anne-Marie to dress and even assisted her down the alleyway until she was in sight of Flinders Street Station.

“God I’m sorry,” he said one last time, before turning to race back down the cobbled alley.   Anne-Marie staggered across the road to be met by the shocked attendants at the railway station.

The events immediately after the rape were still a blur to Anne-Marie.   She only vaguely recalled being examined by a police doctor, who confirmed that she had been raped, then reading the newspaper accounts of her attack by the “Sobbing Rapist ” who had already attacked three other women, and would molest five more before finally being caught.   She could dimly recall the trial where a tall, dark-haired man named Paul Williamson was tried and convicted of the rape of the nine women.   Each victim related how distressed he had been while attacking them, how he had apologised throughout the assault, then helped them to dress afterwards.