Australian pleads guilty to rape, murder of Arab-Israeli student in Melbourne
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There have been several violent attacks against women in Melbourne in recent years, fuelling concerns that authorities are not doing enough to improve safety in Australia's major cities.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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SYDNEY (AFP) - A 20-year-old man pleaded guilty on Wednesday (June 12) to raping and killing a young Arab-Israeli student in Melbourne, one of a spate of attacks that sparked fears about women's safety in Australia's second-biggest city.
The body of Ms Aiia Maasarwe, 21, was found by passers-by near a tram stop on an early January morning, hours after she was attacked on her way home while she was speaking on the phone with her sister in Israel.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of rape and one charge of murder in the Supreme Court of Victoria state. His sentencing hearing is due to take place in early October.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets calling for an end to violence against women after Ms Maasarwe's killing.
There have been several violent attacks against women in Melbourne in recent years, fuelling concerns that the authorities are not doing enough to improve safety in Australia's major cities.
