A teenager targeted in an abduction attempt while she was on a school excursion at a popular Melbourne tourist spot says she is scared of strangers since the incident.
The 14-year-old was walking with a group at Hosier Lane last month when an unknown man approached her and tried to drag her away about 10.30am on November 15, Victoria Police said on Wednesday.
She was saved by a good Samaritan who intervened by pretending to be a teacher, allowing her to escape his grasp before the abductor and the woman he was with left the area.
The girl, who asked to remain anonymous, was not physically hurt but told reporters on Wednesday she realised after the incident how bad it was.
She and her classmates were split into groups and tasked with capturing famous landmarks and places in Melbourne when she encountered the man, who began telling her group how he was going to the pub, she said.
"Then he started to talk about how I was very pretty, and then he grabbed my arm and tried to pull me closer to him," the girl told reporters.
"I wasn't really aware of what was going on at first and I didn't think much of it until he grabbed my arm and then all I could think about was how hard he was holding onto me."
When the good Samaritan got the girl away from the man, she burst into tears with the realisation of what the attempted abducter had tried to do, she said.
The girl said she felt scared of strangers and of going out without adults since the incident.
"I feel scared when I see people who could potentially come up to me and do those things," she said.
Detective Senior Constable Joshua Guy described the good Samaritan's efforts as "nothing short of heroic".
"It would have been clear as day it wasn't right and he intervened in a way that was ... quite subtle that allowed him to take the young person away from that situation," he said.
Victoria Police described the alleged abductor as having dark-coloured skin and a slim build.
He was wearing dark pants and a hoodie, sunglasses and had two black bags with him.
The woman he was with was perceived to be Asian in appearance with a solid build and long black hair.
She was wearing a purple puffer jacket, a light t-shirt, blue jeans and had a blue backpack.
Investigators have released an image of the pair who they want to talk to about the incident.
Anyone with further information about what happened is urged to contact police.
