Campeau and Paul are both recovering after the brutal attack. Photo / Instagram, chloepaulphoto
Campeau and Paul are both recovering after the brutal attack. Photo / Instagram, chloepaulphoto
Australians have rallied around two women who were assaulted last week in an alleged random attack by a disgraced high-profile dentist.
Christine Campeau was left with severe facial injuries after she was attacked in the communal laundry room of a Potts Point apartment complex by Dr Steven Lin, 41,who was later shot dead by police.
He had gained access to the secure complex by driving in as another car exited, and confronted Campeau armed with a knife.
Campeau was attacked in the laundry room of the complex. Photo / Instagram, christine_mytherapy
Another woman, Chloe Paul, was assaulted in her own unit and is recovering from surgery for a broken nose.
Two GoFundMe pages have since been started, one for each of the women, and together they have raised more than $90,000.
The women, who shared a photo of themselves to Instagram this week, are facing a long journey to emotional and physical recovery, unable to return to everyday life or work.
Zoe Certa, the GoFundMe organiser for Campeau’s campaign, said last week’s “traumatic, life-threatening ordeal” turned an ordinary Tuesday into a nightmare.
“The livelihood she has built through years of dedicated service has come to a sudden, devastating halt,” she wrote.
A friend of Paul, Katherine Doube, also described the hardship of coping after such a devastating incident.
“Chloe is a busy and hardworking freelance photographer and as we know, freelancers do not receive sick leave,” she said.
“We are raising funds for Chloe to enable her to recover, without financial pressures, from the injuries, surgery and the trauma.”
Photographer and mother-of-three Paul was pinned to the ground, beaten and choked during the ordeal.
Chloe Paul recovering from the attack. Photo / Instagram
Her boxing experience helped her to break loose and call police.
For Doube, the incident was emblematic of wider issues involving violence against women.
“Sadly this isn’t the first friend of mine who has been attacked by a man so I am outraged,” she told news.com.au.
Lin was once a respected dental nutritionist and best-selling author, but allegedly developed an ice addiction after the breakdown of his marriage.
He fronted Wollongong Local Court just days before his death over allegations he assaulted and choked a sex worker and stole $2000 from her last year, but the matter was dismissed when she failed to appear.
According to the ABC, he had been facing a number of domestic violence-related charges, including breaching an AVO and stalking or intimidating intending fear.
Doube said the NSW support victim scheme – which supports victims of violent crime – is not enough to cover costs and lost earnings in this circumstance.
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