By Goya Dmytryshchak
Police expect to charge a 17-year-old boy who was taken into custody after a sexual assault in Altona on Wednesday last week.
Sexual crime squad detectives said their manhunt in relation to the attack at Cherry Lake had ended.
Detectives said a 31-year-old woman was walking on the northern side of the lake about 11am when she was grabbed around the neck from behind by a male wearing a bandanna over his head, partially covering his face, and brandishing a knife.
Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Michael Phyland said the attacker forced the woman at knifepoint towards some bushes a distance away.
“There were some threats made in relation to using the knife. It was a case where we believe that a serious sexual assault was imminent.
“It was at that time a passer-by intervened. A male on a pushbike, thankfully, was riding by and intervened, and sufficiently, whereby the offender ran away,” he said. The woman suffered a graze to her right leg and did not require hospital treatment.
“She’s certainly upset and traumatised by what happened,” Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Phyland said. “It was a very disturbing and upsetting event for her.”
Detectives and the SES conducted a line search for evidence at Cherry Lake on Friday afternoon, but the knife was not recovered.
Altona resident Kylie Strickland said she no longer allowed her children to run around the lake, while Olga Mitchelmore said she no longer felt safe even in the streets.
“As a woman and mother, it’s saddening this has happened here – or anywhere,” Ms Strickland said. “I’ll be sticking to the safe areas of Cherry Lake from now on where there’s much more activity.”
Police have ruled out a link between Wednesday’s assault and 13 sexual assaults between April 29 and August 10. Call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au with any details.
