Australian man confesses to Dutch woman's rape, death threats

An Australian man has admitted to the vicious and repeated rape and abuse of a young Dutch tourist on the day he was due to face an Australian court for the charges. Alfio Anthony Granata was initially charged with over 170 offenses committed against a 21-year-old Dutch woman traveling in Australia. She was allegedly held captive by Granata and his friend, Jennifer Mary Peaston, in a room at a hotel complex in Melbourne for six weeks during November and December 2012, until the victim's suicide attempt prompted the abusers to call an ambulance. The 48-year-old pleaded guilty to 16 charges at a County Court today, including nine counts of rape, two counts of making threats to kill, two counts of possessing a drug of dependence, one count of intentionally causing serious injury, one count of threatening to inflict serious injury, and one count of theft. He had previously opted to stand trial, claiming that spirits of his ancestors and the devil were to blame for his acts. Granata will be held in custody until he appears at a pre-sentencing hearing. The date for the hearing is not yet fixed.