Abduction charges against two people who were alleged to have kidnapped a schoolgirl, driven her across Melbourne and held her against her will have now been dropped, police have confirmed.
In a short statement issued by police on Friday afternoon, a police spokeswoman said the armed crime squad had withdrawn charges of abduction, kidnapping and false imprisonment against 18-year-old Tarneit man Ayom Deng. Similar charges against a 15-year-old boy were also dropped.
Police had previously alleged a 17-year-old girl was walking to the Springvale South campus of Keysborough Secondary College about 8.30am last Friday when a vehicle pulled up alongside her.
A 15-year-old boy approached her and forced her into the car, police said, before the 18-year-old drove her across Melbourne to a home in Jezebel Way, in the outer-western suburb of Tarneit.
Special operations group officers arrested the 15-year-old at the Tarneit home four hours later.
Deng was arrested on Wednesday morning and charged with abduction, kidnapping and false imprisonment. According to documents released by the court, police had charged Deng with abducting the girl “with the intent of marrying [her] … without her consent”.
“All parties have subsequently been contacted to advise them of this development,” police said on Friday afternoon.
“Any new information provided to police will be thoroughly assessed.”
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