'Very violent' home invasions targeted woman home alone, police say

Three men have been charged after allegedly committing two separate home invasions in Sydney’s south-western suburbs within a month, targeting women aged 31 and 32. The first attack occurred on Tuesday at midnight, with the suspects entering a house on Marinea Street in Arncliffe, threatening a woman with a knife and sexually assaulting her before stealing money; she was hospitalized for minor injuries. A second incident took place around 12:30 am Thursday when three men broke into a unit on Jacobs Street in Bankstown, assaulted another woman and stole cash; she too suffered minor injuries and required hospitalization.

Police executed searches in Belmore, Punchbowl, and Greenacre on Thursday evening, leading to the arrests. The arrested individuals are aged 18, 19, and 20, with the 19-year-old charged specifically for sexually assaulting one of the victims. Police stated that Strike Force Forela combined both investigations under allegations including aggravated break-ins, sexual assault, robbery, deprivation of liberty, choking, common assault, and weapon use during indictable offenses.

The suspects were refused bail and are scheduled to appear in court on Friday. These incidents highlight escalating violent crimes against women within their homes, drawing significant public concern and law enforcement scrutiny.