NSW:Sydney 'bomb' woman now safe from device

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2011
NSW:Sydney 'bomb' woman now safe from device

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SYDNEY, Aug 4 AAP - Sydney police having safely removed an 18-year-old woman who was
collared to what they thought was a bomb are now working to fathom the bizarre event and
arrest the person or persons behind it.

After the incident on Sydney's lower north shore entered its 10th hour on Wednesday
night, Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch said the woman had been released from the device
and reunited safely with her parents.

The device is still intact and was being examined by the bomb squad.

Police were called to the girl's Mosman home about 2.30pm (AEST) on Wednesday.

She was attached to the "elaborate, sophisticated" device by a person who entered her home.

There was some interaction between the girl and that person before they left the house.

Mr Murdoch declined to detail any demands made by the person who has so far evaded police.

He said it was too early to say whether the device had been placed in the teenager's
home as part of an extortion attempt.

"Certainly the family are at a loss to explain this, but you wouldn't expect someone
would go to this much trouble if there wasn't a motive behind it," he said.

"What this motive is, we are still not aware.

"The family have endured something no one needs to endure ... but they have held up
remarkably well."

Mr Murdoch said police kept a tight lid on public information throughout the ordeal
so as not to agitate those responsible, who may have been following the news.

The teenager was now doing well and was with her parents, he said.

"She's good - she's been kept in a very uncomfortable position," Murdoch said.

"She has been and will be uncomfortable for a little while to come."

Mr Murdoch said it was too early to say what kind of device it was, except that it
was "very elaborate, sophisticated".

"It's taken us 10 hours to get to grips with it," he said.

"We still don't know if it was explosive.

"It is a testament to the skills of our NSW bomb technicians who have worked tirelessly
to secure the young lady's released."

Mr Murdoch said there was still no evidence as to a motive and that police had had
no contact with whoever put the device in place.

But he said the girl had had some interaction with her attacker and had given "a lot
of information" to police.

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