Woman raped in bed at resort while husband slept

A woman was raped while her partner slept beside her during a horrific attack on an idyllic North Queensland island. The 35-year-old tourist and her partner were asleep in their hotel room at the Dunk Island Resort, Australia when the attacker broke in and raped her about 4.30am yesterday. The woman awoke as she was being attacked and her partner was roused shortly after.

Innisfail Police District Inspector David Tucker said the woman's partner had followed the man out of the room, where they had a short conversation. It was understood the attacker had told the man that he had entered the wrong hotel room - and it was only when the husband returned to his partner that he realised she had been sexually assaulted.

''This person has gone in and committed the sexual assault and the victim has basically woken up and he's decamped from the room,'' Insp Tucker said. ''The partner woke and saw the person in the room. He followed him and actually had a conversation with him ... but didn't realise that the assault had taken place.



''I believe there was some conversation along those lines (of entering the wrong hotel room) that didn't arouse any suspicion in the partner. ''He went back, spoke to his partner, and police were called. It is a very, very disturbing incident, particularly for Dunk Island.''

He said it was likely the assailant had left the island in a private vessel as ferries and water taxis don't operate at that time of the morning. A police officer spent the morning combing incoming vessels on the shore at Mission Beach, however no suspicious activity was detected.

Insp Tucker said police had not been able to immediately investigate vessels in the vicinity of Dunk Island as they had no boat of their own. The island is widely advertised as an idyllic, family friendly holiday destination.