Woman escapes forest rape ordeal

A woman who was kidnapped then raped in a central North Island forest ran for her life and hid as her attacker hunted for her in the dark.

The Napier woman's 26-hour ordeal, at the hands of a man still being hunted by police, began when she was abducted at knifepoint from her home early on Tuesday.

The man, a stranger, tricked his way into her home in the Napier suburb of Tamatea, then took her in her own car to the Mohaka Forest off the Napier-Taupo highway, where she was repeatedly raped.

The woman, who had been seized at dawn, managed to escape that night about 9pm. She spent the next eight hours barely clothed and hiding in the bush, before walking barefoot for three hours and flagging down a logging truck yesterday morning.

Police said this morning that the man was an extremely dangerous P user. Detective Sergeant Mike Foster said the name of the suspect may be released later today.

Officers investigating the attack have praised the woman's strength in helping them piece together the crime.

Detective Sergeant Chris Cahill said the woman opened the door to the man and was taken in her car to a remote track off State Highway 5.

"She has been taken up to the bush, where she has been sexually violated over quite a few hours. When it has gone dark she has managed to escape and hidden in the bush overnight, before walking 6km up a very steep and rugged bush track in bare feet to this forestry road, where she has managed to wave down a forestry driver."

The woman told police she took her chance to escape when her attacker grew tired and distracted. She ran from the car "before he could realise what was happening".

"He spent quite some time looking for her. She could hear him looking and hunting around but obviously it's a forest and it's dark and she managed to avoid him."

Though desperately cold, she felt she could not leave her hiding place.

"She was very scared. She did hear the car start up but it was moving back and forwards so she was never sure it actually left the area so she waited until daylight. She walked 6km up a track and was just terrified that every time she came around a corner he would be there again."

Mr Cahill said the attacker was dangerous and should not be approached.

He used the woman's cashflow card at a money machine in Taupo at 5am yesterday and there was a possible sighting of her car at Whakatane about midday.

Mr Cahill spent yesterday interviewing the woman at the forest and said she was one of the "strongest" victims he had met.

"She is just an amazing woman. The strength that she had to help us in a remote area to assess the scene and gather evidence while she was still traumatised was incredible. She has been amazing."

The woman was treated in hospital and had a forensic examination before going to stay with family last night.

She was reported missing by her fiance, who returned home from work on Tuesday and realised she had not gone to work and personal items were still in the house.

Mr Cahill said police were preparing to investigate a missing person case when they were contacted by the logging truck driver, who said he had found a woman in a distressed state.

She stayed with the driver until police arrived.

"He was brilliant, really supportive and she's got nothing but praise for him.

"He calmed her down and got enough details for us to ascertain who it was and what we were looking for." 
 
The attacker
*Said to be in his 30s.
* 1.73m (5ft 8in) tall.
* Maori, stocky build, red/brown hair and a goatee.
* Missing four front teeth.
* Many tattoos on his hands.
* Police say he is considered extremely dangerous and should not to be approached.

- additional reporting NEWSTALK ZB