Vic parolee charged over attack on woman

A parolee who escaped from a Melbourne sex offender treatment centre has been charged with attacking a woman during his day on the run.

The 37-year-old man handed himself into police on Thursday night after fleeing from the disability treatment facility in Melbourne's north.

Police say the man, who has a disability, had been in breach of parole to undergo compulsory treatment for serious indictable offences when a public warning was issued about his escape.

He had just returned from a supervised community access program on Thursday morning when he ran off from the building's car park.

He is alleged to have then attacked a woman on a parkland walking track around 7.25pm (AEDT) before he walked into a police station.

The man has since been charged with indecent assault, unlawful assault and assault with intent to rape, a police spokeswoman said.

He will face court at a date yet to be fixed.

Officers had issued the public warning after failing to find him during a wide search of the Fairfield area surrounding the Disability Forensic Assessment and Treatment Service.

The centre focuses on treating sex offenders and allows inmates to test their progress through supervised visits in the community.