The victims had waited more than 10 years for this day, and the court was full, the front rows occupied by those who’d been subjected to psychological manipulation so cruel and unusual it isn’t covered by a specific law. The press had packed into the back rows to witness the bizarre case. Occasionally someone would swivel to glimpse the perpetrator, slumped in her chair; a dowdy woman in white sneakers and a fuzzy purple jumper. If Lydia Abdelmalek had any comprehension of the gravity of her crimes, she didn’t show it. The 32-year-old wore a blank expression, showing no remorse for the lives she’d destroyed.
Since her arrest, Lydia had maintained she was an innocent bystander. And why would she be involved? To those who knew her, Lydia appeared to be a normal, functional member of society. A social worker who lived with her mother in Melbourne, she’d dabbled in acting classes, was interested in opening a food truck, said she loved TV. Photos from her now-closed Facebook page captured her smiling at a wedding in a navy gown and a silver crucifix.
Yet Lydia had spent three years tormenting multiple victims by impersonating Home and Away actor Lincoln Lewis, inventing an intricate cast of characters to support her ruse and conjuring fake romances that evolved into obsessive stalking and threats of violence. She invaded and poisoned every aspect of her victims’ lives. As Lydia’s obsession escalated, her malice spread to one woman’s family.
Lydia’s two primary victims
