New Year’s Day church rape accused tried to flee the country with a false ID, police say

Arrested at an international airport with his brand-new suitcase packed and only minutes to spare, Frenchman Adam Berguiga was attempting to flee the country with a false ID after learning he was wanted for raping a woman on the steps of a city church, police say.

In the three days that preceded his high-stakes arrest, a court heard Detective Leading Senior Constable Diane Jeffries and her team worked around the clock and on days off, calling in Uber and federal police, to help track down the accused 22-year-old rapist before he escaped, allegedly with others’ help.

Jeffries says Berguiga had been in Australia on a working holiday visa for less than six months when he led an intoxicated 33-year-old “stranger” into an alleyway and raped her multiple times.

Minutes earlier, the pair had been kicked out of Billboard nightclub on Russell Street during New Year’s Eve celebrations.

On Wednesday, Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard the entire incident was captured on CCTV, with police tracking the accused man’s movements through the city using City of Melbourne and City Safe cameras, as the 22-year-old accused man applied to be released on bail.

Numberplate recognition technology was then used to track the alleged rapist from the centre of Melbourne to St Kilda, where he had been living in an overcrowded Grey Street share house with other French nationals.

“This complainant is a stranger to the accused. This incident occurred on a public street in Melbourne, on an extremely intoxicated, vulnerable woman. Police say she had no ability to consent,” the detective said.

The court heard that on January 1 the accused attended Billboard nightclub with friends about 2am, with the woman arriving about 3.40am.

Feeling unwell and unable to finish her drink, the woman split from her friends and sat on a stool near the dance floor at 4.10am, Jeffries said.

The officer said CCTV showed the accused walk over and immediately begin “passionately” kissing the woman and putting his hand up her dress before she fell off the seat and was helped to the bathroom.

Security soon escorted the pair from the venue. Once outside, the court heard the accused carried the woman into nearby Corrs Lane. There, Jeffries said, CCTV showed he raped the woman, who at times appeared lifeless, in an alcove on the steps of the Melbourne Praise church.

Jeffries said a medical report found the woman sustained injuries and recalled striking her head and being choked while also trying to use her phone to call for help.

“You good,” the 22-year-old allegedly said throughout the incident.

Jeffries said her office was contacted and immediately began trying to track down the person responsible.

Berguiga, the detective said, was known to police, and searches were swiftly executed at properties in Southbank, the city, and later St Kilda.

“When members were at Grey Street, they were advised he was out delivering food for Uber. Urgent Uber inquiries were made,” she said.

“I now know the accused boarded a bus from Southern Cross ... to Sydney on the evening of January 3, 2026,” she said.

The court heard the ticket had been purchased that day, shortly before departure, using a friend’s bank account.

“Footage obtained from Southern Cross [shows the accused] and four associates arriving two minutes before departure … with all his belongings, running,” Jeffries said.

At the same time, the court heard that the inquiries made with Uber uncovered Berguiga had allegedly created a new Uber account in Sydney, with CCTV helping track him to the airport.

“That’s how we first realised he had fled our state,” Jeffries said.

The court heard Berguiga was arrested there by federal police while sitting in a chair in the international terminal about 11.55am.

While he had no ticket at the time, Jeffries said the man’s suitcase still had the tags on it and he was carrying his passport and photo ID in a different name.

In opposing bail, Jeffries said the victim feared for her own safety and that of other women in the community if Berguiga were released.

“We don’t know what the accused is capable of. We know little about him,” Jeffries said.

“The community is at risk wherever this man is.

“He’s tried to flee our country.”

Berguiga arrived in Australia in June on a 12-month working holiday visa.

Those living at the proposed bail address on Exhibition Street were given an eviction notice partway though Wednesday’s bail application after Jeffries told the court she had notified the landlord they were illegally subletting the property.

Defence barrister Michael Stanton, SC, highlighted that his client had no prior convictions for violence, was young, vulnerable in custody as he speaks limited English, and faced significant time on remand before trial.

The matter will continue before magistrate Jill Prior on March 2.

National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line: 1800 737 732. Crisis support can be found at Lifeline: 13 11 14 and lifeline.org.au