Brazen sex attack on Tauranga woman

Photo / NZ Herald

Police have renewed an appeal for help in catching a brazen offender who sexually assaulted a Tauranga woman as she slept next to her partner.

The incident happened in the early hours of March 26, at a house on Maunganui Rd, in Mt Maunganui.

"The female victim and her partner were asleep in a room at the back of the house when a man broke into the house and entered the room," Detective Logan Nicholas said.

"He sexually assaulted the woman before fleeing after being confronted by the victim and her partner."

The incident will feature on television crime show Police Ten-7 tomorrow night, which police hope will jog someone's memory.

The offender was described as a light-skinned Maori, aged between 22 and 27, about 178cm tall, of medium-to-solid build.

"This was a brazen attack which caused significant distress to the female victim and her partner. Members of the public should be able to feel safe in their own homes, so we want to identify and locate this offender to ensure an incident like this doesn't happen again," Mr Nicholas said.

Anyone with information was urged to contact police.

- NZPA