During the 1980s to early 1990s, Melbourne, Victoria was terrorised by a man who became known as Mr. Cruel.  The masked man has been linked to a series of child abductions and rapes. He is also suspected of murdering schoolgirl Karmein Chan. Mr. Cruel may have also been responsible for many other unsolved rapes beginning in 1985 throughout Melbourne suburbs. 

“Do you feel brave?”

“You’re not going to be a hero are you?”

“This is a real gun, it shoots real bullets. It will blow your heads off ”

“Payback Asian drug dealer, Anon, more and more to come''

Photo Victoria Collections

Alfie Gay says to him “Would you like to know who Mr. Cruel was?”

“That is just by way of introducing Alfie Gay and putting him in context. He was a major respected, armed robber, safecracker, and all-around sophisticated crook” (Rule)

Why did veteran homicide detective Ron Iddles publicly revive a long-dismissed lead in the Karmein Chan case — right as the Royal Commission into Police Informants handed down its final report in July 2020? This investigation uncovers a web of coincidences that raises serious questions.

What type of person may have committed this crime?

Police undertake a massive search of 30, 000 homes

Eastern Metropolitan 220kV Circuit mirrors Mr. Cruel crime sites.

Mr. Cruel was familiar with these trail paths.