Mary, whose real name has been withheld, was snatched from a St Kilda street, in Melbourne's southeast, during the early hours of January 23, 1988.
The then-19-year-old was on her way home from a party when her attackers, believed to be two men, forced her into a car and took turns raping her at nearby Elwood Beach.
"This is the nightmare that everyone fears and it was happening to me," the now 57-year-old said on Wednesday.
"I didn't know if the men were going to rape me or kill me and I was terrified."
She was left "alone and scared" at a car park and had to walk home while still dark.
The teen contacted police and underwent a forensic medical examination, but her attackers were not identified.
That was until 2021, when Travis Scott Rielly was arrested in Queensland on unrelated dangerous driving charges.
Police obtained a sample of his genetic material and linked it to DNA samples taken from Mary after the attack in 1988.
In 2025, the then 58-year-old was sentenced to nine years and nine months imprisonment for his role in the assault.
But there is still no trace of the second man, whom Mary believes may have been the ringleader.
"I suspect that it was possibly his idea," she said.
"Not that it takes blame away from the other guy, because they both decided that it would be a great idea to ruin someone's life."
Mary has welcomed the recent police decision to launch a fresh appeal for information relating to the second offender's identity.
She acknowledged the emotional toll from the renewed attention, saying last year's trial "brought it all up again".
The attack has left Mary with deep emotional scars.
"In a sense, it did ruin my life," she said.
She was two weeks out from beginning her university studies in art when the assault took place and, suffering from PTSD and anxiety, she would not last the first semester.
While she managed to produce several works of art following the assault, it marked the end of the idea of making a career out of her passion. She has never been unable to hold down steady work.
"I just went on to a life of self-medicating, ongoing psychological treatment, anxiety, depression, suicide attempts," she said.
Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Brett Robinson was fierce in his condemnation of the assault, which he said was likely planned.
"These two cowardly, misogynistic young men attacked a vulnerable young woman and defiled her body to satisfy their depraved sexual needs," he said.
He called on anyone with any information to come forward, acknowledging the search for the remaining attacker could be challenging.
"It's been nearly 40 years, so he could be anywhere," he said.
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