Police are actively seeking information on George Karakis, a man who has evaded capture for over 50 years following a 1974 sexual assault in Melbourne. At the time of the crime, a 30-year-old woman was assaulted in her Fitzroy home as she slept, awakening to find an intruder, later identified as Karakis, who was charged with rape, burglary, and indecent assault shortly after.
Despite being arrested, he was released on bail, paid by his wife, but failed to appear in court in October 1974 and has been at large ever since. Authorities believed they nearly apprehended him in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in 1990, but he fled again before they could act on a warrant. Since then, numerous public appeals have yielded little information on his whereabouts.
In an effort to reignite the investigation, police have released a recent mugshot of Karakis and a digitally-generated image of what he may look like today. Detective Senior Constable Ruby Roberts of the Yarra Crime Investigation Unit commented on the case, highlighting the lasting trauma experienced by the victim, who is now in her 80s. She has spent much of her life knowing the man accused of her assault is still free, raising concerns for her sense of justice.
Roberts expressed hope that individuals might come forward with information regarding Karakis’s last known whereabouts or current location, stating that even the smallest detail could be crucial to solving the case. There is also the possibility that Karakis has passed away given the time elapsed.
Karakis, originally from Turkey and fluent in Greek, was noted to be around 162 cm tall, with brown eyes, dark hair, and a distinguishing scar above his left eyebrow at the time of his arrest. He lived with his wife and relatives in Fitzroy when the crime occurred.
Police urge anyone with information about Karakis to contact Crime Stoppers, reinforcing the importance of public assistance in bringing closure to the victim and her family.