'Really frightening': Melbourne woman recalls 'appalling' sexual assault as police continue search for offender
Updated . First published
A woman has recalled the "really frightening" moment she was sexually assaulted in Melbourne late last year.
Sarah*, aged 30, revealed she had caught an Uber home from a work Christmas party on December 4th.
She said she lost consciousness shortly after being dropped off at around 2am, and when she woke up, she claimed she was in an unknown apartment with a man who was sexually assaulting her.
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Sarah said she was on her way home from a Christmas party when she lost consciousness. Victoria Police
"I remember being in the Uber home and coming to a while later with this man on top of me," she said at a press conference this morning.
"It was really frightening."
Sarah said the man told her she was in Reservoir, which meant she knew she was close to home.
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Senior Constable Trelawny Hand called the assault "appalling". Victoria Police
She pushed the man off her, ran out of the unit and onto Strathmerton Street to her own home nearby.
With the aid of her housemate, she was able to call police.
Sarah said the assault had a significant impact on her life.
"The not knowing is really terrifying, and I don't know who it is," she said. "I don't know if they know where I live, I don't know if they frequent the area.
"It took me a while to get back to a normal routine... I haven't been going out with friends, I haven't been doing things I used to do, I haven't been drinking at all."
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A computer-generated image of a man believed to be of interest to police has been released. Supplied
Police believe the unit was unoccupied and that it is frequented by squatters.
It is believed no one else was in the unit at the time.
Police have released a computer-generated image of a man who they believe carried out the assault.
The man is believed to be of Middle Eastern appearance, aged between 50 and 60-years-old, with dark hair, olive skin, a thin build, and clean-shaven.
"Someone will know this man, we're hoping members of the public will come forward. We don't want it happening to anyone else," Senior Constable Trelawny Hand said.
"Do the right thing, hand yourself in… It's been pretty appalling what the victim has had to go through."
Anyone with information on the man police are searching for are urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
*Sarah is not her real name, police have used a pseudonym to protect her identity
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