KEY POINTS:
A man who allegedly raped a 20-year-old woman in a Tauranga cemetery on Saturday night was still on the loose yesterday as police made a fresh appeal for help in catching him.
The woman told police she was attacked on Friday night in Library Arcade on Willow St by a group of men she knew casually but managed to escape from them.
The following night, about 10pm, she was allegedly attacked again by one of the men from the previous night. This time she was dragged into the cemetery on the corner of Fraser St and 18th Ave, struck her head on a headstone and was raped.
Detective Sergeant Darryl Brazier said police were following some lines of inquiry but there was still a lot of work to be done.
"If this event has occurred the way the victim has said it has, we need to get this guy off the street before it happens again," he said.
He said police had received feedback on the car the man was believed to drive - a silver soft-top BMW Z3 - but more information was needed.
He appealed to anyone who may have seen either attack to contact police.
The man is described as European, of stocky build and about 24 years old. He is about 1.78m tall and believed to be from Tauranga.
Any information can be given to Mr Brazier or Detective Constable Darren Nicholas on (07) 577-4300 or anonymously on 0800 SPEAK UP.
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
