South Yarra attack: Melbourne grandmother reveals how she fought off sex attacker with her walker after he pounced on her in a lift
An elderly grandmother has recalled how she used her walker to fend off a suspected attacker after he sexually assaulted and threatened to kill her during a terrifying ordeal.
A major manhunt is now underway to track down the man who allegedly followed the woman, in her late 80s, to a lift at her South Yarra apartment complex in inner-city Melbourne on April 1.
The man reportedly waited 45 minutes for the woman to enter the elevator and then exposed himself to her.
He then allegedly followed the woman out of the elevator and into a stairwell, where he sexually assaulted her and said, “I’ll come back and kill you.”
The terrified woman managed to fend him off with her walker until a bystander intervened and scared him off.
Police are searching for a man accused of sexually assaulting an elderly grandmother in an elevator
The elderly woman was forced to fight the man with her walker during the terrifying ordeal
The man fled on foot and the woman spent a night in the hospital.
Five weeks later, the woman is still traumatized by the ordeal.
She has lived in South Yarra for 25 years but is now too scared to live on her own.
The woman was disappointed to discover that there are no security cameras in the stairwell.
Police released CCTV footage on Wednesday as part of a public appeal.
“While in the lift with the victim, he propositioned her for a sexual act and offered her money for that sexual act,” Detective Senior Constable Andrew Turton said. Nine news.
Police believe this man captured on CCTV may assist their investigation
“This violation is not acceptable… What is even more disturbing is that it appears to have been targeted.”
The man is described as being of Asian descent, in his 20s, approximately 180cm tall, with black hair and facial hair.
He wore a black hooded sweatshirt with the word “Jordan” written on the back, along with black pants and sneakers.
Anyone with information that could assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.