Police are concerned about a young man's persistent sexual assaults on a young woman, and an attempt to drag her down an alleyway, as she walked along a central Hastings street on Thursday morning.
The woman, in her late teens, was walking along Queen Street West about 11.30am when a young man approached her and assaulted her, then followed on his BMX bike and assaulted her several more times, Detective Lisa Tod said.
``She was really distressed, and she's turned and pushed him away from her and hit him on more than one occasion and walked fast,'' Ms Tod said.
``She was just concerned by the fact that although there were cars driving around her, there was no person on the street she could turn to for help.''
The woman texted her boyfriend for help while it was happening and arranged to meet him in town.
The man then grabbed her clothing and tried to drag her into an alley, but she fought him off. He reappeared shortly afterwards and assaulted her again before she managed to escape into a shop.
Police would like to talk to any witnesses.
``I'd say that people have driven past, seen something but not realised the extent of what's going on. They may have thought they were having a domestic argument and thought nothing of it, but in fact there was something more sick about it,'' Ms Tod said.
The man was described as Maori with a pale complexion, about 20 years-old, wearing a white shirt and shorts and riding a small black BMX bike.
Hastings woman fights off man during persistent sexual assaults
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.