Brit backpacker Elisha Greer describes month-long kidnap and rape ordeal
Written by News on 06/05/2019
A British backpacker who was kidnapped and raped by a man in Australia has spoken of her ordeal, which lasted for more than a month.
Elisha Greer described how Marcus Martin would beat her and hold a gun to her head.
Speaking to Australian broadcaster Channel 7, Ms Greer said she had met Martin at a party in Cairns, Queensland, in January 2017.
“He just seemed like a nice guy,” she said.
Shortly afterwards Martin moved into the then 21-year-old’s hotel and began asking her for money.
Martin got hold of a gun he said was for “protection” and took her along with him to rob a drug dealer.
“I was forced to drive the car with the gun to my head,” she said.
Later, Martin launched a violent attack on Ms Greer hitting, raping and choking her until she passed out.
“He turned around and he just started to hit me, hit me, hit me,” she said.
Despite apologising after each assault, Martin’s controlling behaviour did not stop.
Ms Greer described the injuries left by Martin: “He broke my nose, split my eyebrow open, I had various amounts of bite marks all up and down my arms, I had bite marks on my face, he had stabbed me in the neck with the key, I had two black eyes, hand prints all over my body from bruises. So many bruises.”
The pair embarked on a 1,600 mile (2,575km) road trip south of Cairns during which Martin’s abusive behaviour continued.
Ms Greer became so desperate to escape she even contemplated killing Martin, but was worried how he would react if she failed.
During one stop on their journey she left an unanswered plea for help in a visitor’s book.
After five days of driving, the pair stopped for petrol at a service station in Mitchell and left without paying.
An attendant called the police who inspected the car and found Martin hiding in the back seat.
Martin, 24, of Cairns, pleaded guilty to three counts of rape and one count of deprivation of liberty in October last year and is due to be sentenced on 28 May.
(c) Sky News 2019: Brit backpacker Elisha Greer describes month-long kidnap and rape ordeal
