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Waikato University staff hope security footage will help police track a man who attacked a young woman in broad daylight at the Hamilton campus yesterday.
Police said The 20-year-old victim was confronted and assaulted around the maths and sciences department about 8.30am.
She was punched and dragged into a secluded area where the assault continued.
The woman screamed and "resisted vigourously" and the offender eventually fled.
Police believe the assault was sexually motivated.
The university's head of student and academic services, Michelle Jordan-Tong, said there were numerous security cameras located around the university and footage would be provided to police.
"Presumably, the person could have entered campus from any which direction so we're reviewing all the footage and we'll make that available to the police.
"It's extremely unusual for something like that to have happened on our campus at all, let alone in broad daylight. We're doing whatever we can to help the police."
Tong would not say whether the victim was a student.
"If the victim was student we would be providing any support we can and reaching out to them," she said.
"We have reached out to the person, we haven't spoken to them but we have provided contact details for support and counselling assistance."
Students went on their mid-semester break on Friday, but there were still plenty of people on campus.
"We have a music programme that runs, there are sports on fields adjacent to the university and on our own fields, and we have student accommodation on campus so there's always a number of people floating around," she said.
Police described the attacker as dark skinned aged in his 20s.
He was about 160-170cm tall, of medium build with shoulder length black hair.
He was wearing dark trousers and a white long-sleeved top with two distinctive black lines running down the sleeves.
Anyone with information was urged to call Hamilton police on 07 858 6200 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 11.
The Wellington to Picton ferry had a technical issue and was being towed back to port.