Peter Komiazyk, 61, who formerly went by the name Peter Reed, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Thursday night for a late bail hearing. His co-accused, Craig Minogue, 56, is currently in Barwon Prison.

The two men are each facing 38 charges over two attacks against young women they allegedly abducted from Melbourne streets and raped.

The court was told police had obtained DNA evidence linking the men to the attacks against the two teenagers.

In November 1985, an 18-year-old woman was dragged from a South Yarra street and forced into the footwell of a car where she was bound and blindfolded. She was driven somewhere and raped by three men "over a number of hours".

She was then "showered and dumped" at Richmond, where she immediately went to police.

Less than six months later, in Nunawading, a 19-year-old woman was grabbed from the street and forced into the footwell of a car. Victim two was raped by at least three males and forced into degrading acts. She was also allegedly threatened before she was showered and dumped.

The DNA match for these cases has pointed to two men who were previously convicted for their role in the March 1986 bombing of the Russell Street police headquarters. A bomb was placed in a car and timed to go off at 1 pm, hoping to kill as many police as possible near the busy lunch hour.

The blast injured 23 people, including 21-year-old Constable Angela Taylor. She was only a meter away from the blast and had severe burns over her entire body. She died on 20 April, becoming the first Australian policewoman to be killed in the line of duty. The second rape victim was in the police station at that time due to her attack. (The Casefile podcast has a great episode on the bombing.)

Komiazyk (formerly Reed) was sentenced to 13 years for shooting a police officer when his home was raided during the bombing investigation. Minogue is still in prison. A third man, Stan Taylor, was also convicted and died in prison. I wonder if it's possible he was involved as well, or Minogue's brother Rodney, who was acquitted of involvement with the bombing.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/russell-st-police-station-bombing-in-the-centre-of-melbourne-was-an-act-of-war-courts-heard-in-1980s-trials/news-story/f0db99a45586258289bc24a5b3e14338?sv=68153a8b62b6c1c34b15acca8d427f77

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-24/scars-still-felt-20-years-after-russell-street-bombing/7264058

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-23/russell-street-bomber-and-acquitted-man-charged-over-1980s-rapes/11143542