Rape victim almost strangled to death

Dunedin police say a woman brutally raped on the weekend was almost strangled to death by her attacker.

The 21-year-old student victim was approached by the man when walking home through the city centre between midnight and 1am on Friday.

He tried to make small talk with her, then attacked her, Detective Senior Sergeant Steve McGregor said today.

The victim was dragged into a car park off Rattray St, where she was raped and repeatedly beaten about her face and body for two hours, he told Radio New Zealand.

"What is very much a concern is during the course of the rape it would appear that he has tried to subdue her by strangling her with a length of black nylon rope."

At the end of the rape the man mislaid the rope but continued to manually strangle her, Mr McGregor said.

It was lucky police were not looking at a homicide, he said.

The offender was described as Caucasian, in his mid to late 20s, clean shaven with a shaved head. He was medium build, about 175cm tall and wearing dark jeans.

Mr McGregor said the attacker was phoned a couple of times during the rape.

He told the victim the caller was his girlfriend.

"So if there is any young lady out there who knows they called their boyfriend who fits that description around about 1am on the Saturday morning, we'd be keen to hear from them."

Police also wanted to speak to anyone who saw the long blond haired victim who was wearing a white woollen cardigan with brown buttons.

They were also looking for her mustard yellow leather handbag, with shoulder straps which the attacker stole from her.

- NZPA