Sex predator could strike again, fear police

Police fear a sex predator who raped a Canterbury University student on Friday night could strike again.

Female student are being urged to walk in pairs or in well lit areas until the attacker is apprehended.

"We can't rule out that he will strike again so its essential that female students take all precautions," Detective Sergeant Scott Anderson said today.

The 21-year-old victim had been working in the university's library and was heading to her car parked in Kirkwood Ave around 10pm on Friday when she was attacked and raped behind the nearby Ilam Primary School.

"This is a horrifying ordeal for this young woman and it is very concerning that there is a predator like this in and around the university," Mr Anderson said.

He said the student spent the night in hospital and was now recovering at home with her family.

The attacker was described as a male Caucasian aged in his mid-twenties with short dark hair. He is clean shaven and approximately 1.82m tall.

Mr Anderson said that they had no clues at this stage to his identity and could not rule out the possibility it was a fellow student.

He appealed to anyone with information about the attack or saw anything suspicious to contact police.

He said that police were also looking to see if there was any link to a sexual assault on another female university student by two men a week earlier.

- NZPA