Victoria Police has launched a manhunt after a woman was allegedly grabbed by the throat and hair, bitten and sexually assaulted multiple times in a horrifying attack at the 2017 Rainbow Serpent festival.
The 21-year-old victim told police she’d been walking along the outer edge of the south camp section at the Lexton dance fest — sometime between 3pm and 7pm on January 26th — when she struck up a conversation with an unknown man.
It’s alleged he grabbed her by the throat and hair, pushed her up against a van, sexually assaulted her three times and bit her on the arm twice, before she managed to get away.
Sex Crimes Squad detectives are appealing for help from the public to identify the alleged offender, who was not known to the woman, and have released a computer generated sketch of what they believe him to look like (below).
He’s described as being aged around 28 or 29 with sandy brown hair, blue eyes, a “pointy” nose and wearing a grey shirt at the time of the alleged attack.
It’s is one of a number of incidents to mar the 2017 Rainbow Serpent festival, the most tragic of which was the fatal overdose of 22-year-old Jacob Langford, who could not be saved after reportedly drinking amyl nitrite, becoming the second person to die at the festival in five years.
Police have heavily criticised the event, pointing out that — as well as Langford’s tragic passing and these latest sexual assault allegations — this year’s event was also tarnished by a spate of other incidents, including up to 30 drug-driving offences, six drug trafficking offences, a police officer being assaulted and another female attendees reporting a sexual assault.
If you have any information that could help solve this crime, you can contact Crime Stoppers.
If you need assistance, 1800 RESPECT – the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service — can be reached on 1800 737 732, while Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14.
Computer-generated image of man police believe can assist them with their inquiries
