A woman who was the victim of a violent sexual assault in York has spoken out as the hunt goes on to find her attacker.
She said the traumatic ordeal has left her fearful to go out – but added her assailant will have a gash on his hand because she fought back.
She hopes that by sharing her ordeal, it will remind people to stay vigilant – and may help someone to identify her attacker and bring him to justice.
It happened last Wednesday (8 January), between midnight and 1.21am, on the footpath that runs off Monkton Road next to South Beck, in the Huntington area.
The victim was walking her dog at the time, which was heavily sedated following major surgery.
“I had my headphones in and my phone flashlight on. Suddenly, on the dirt path, he just came behind me and shoved me to the ground,” she told YorkMix.
Her phone landed with the light facing the floor and she was left in complete darkness.
The man then turned the victim round. He punched her in the eye and then the jaw.
“For a split second, I thought, is this how I’m about to die?” she said.
During the struggle, the victim managed to scratch his hand. “My dad and his sister had taught me growing up that if anything happens, scratch them, bite them, if you can’t get them off, you do everything else that you can.
“Hopefully there’s a man out there with a massive gash on his hand, or at least scratch marks,” she said.
During the violent ordeal, the victim’s trousers and underwear were ripped.
She attempted to claw her way from beneath his grip, but the frozen ground made it even more difficult.
Monkton Road near South Beck
The attack took place in complete darkness, with the only light source coming from a nearby car park.
Her assailant’s face was in darkness, but she recalls he was of medium build, and possibly between 5ft 9in to 5ft 11in tall.
After clawing his hand, the victim then kicked him in his chest, and again in what she believes to have been his neck.
She said: “He sort of flew back a little bit and sounded like he was in a lot of pain. I could see his silhouette crouching.
“I’m assuming I must have kicked his jaw or something, or at least maybe his neck. I kicked him in some kind of vicinity, really, really hard. I felt the impact.”
The man got up, kicked the woman in the leg, and proceeded to spit and swear at her. He then ran off.
State of shock
For minutes afterwards, the victim was left in a state of shock. “I keep kicking myself for it, but I felt like I couldn’t move. I felt like my body was made of bricks,” she said.
She lay there, frozen in fear that the man could return.
After managing to get up, she grabbed her dog, her phone, and called her partner immediately. Her partner went in search of the man, but had no luck.
“My partner is 6ft 4in, so quite intimidating in comparison to me,” she said.
They reported the incident to police. “The police have been great, they’ve been sending out patrols around the area just to see if anyone starts loitering around,” she said.
She’s also had lots of support from her family and friends.
Since the incident, the woman has struggled leave her home without her partner as she feels unsafe.
“I’ve only just managed to go to a shop that’s a two-minute walk away,” she said.
They’ve found it difficult to sleep, and both wake up at the slightest sound.
The victim wants to overcome these anxieties and live her life normally, “I’m a bit stubborn, I can’t let it win.”
She plans to continue with her routine in order to get back to normality, as she fears she’ll feel worse otherwise.
The victim hopes that in bravely sharing her story, it will remind those in Huntington, as well as the winder areas, to stay vigilant.
“I just want to remind people to stay safe,” she said.
How you can help
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “She was attacked by an unknown man who pushed her to the ground on a grassy mound.
“The incident was reported to North Yorkshire Police at 1.21am. An extensive area search was carried out and detailed enquiries are ongoing in the effort to locate him.”
Her attacker is described as:
- white
- of medium build
- and wearing a tracksuit.
“Anyone who believes they may know this man or have any information that could assist the investigation, please contact us without delay,” the police spokesperson said.
“We are also urging residents in the local area to check their CCTV and doorbell cameras for any footage of people walking about between midnight and 1.21am on 8 January.”
If you have any information, please contact the police on 101 and quote reference number 12250004114.