Security footage may hold rape clue

Palmerston North police are stepping up their hunt for an alleged rapist in the city after a teenage woman was attacked in The Square at the weekend.

The victim, who police say was under 20, was walking near the Palmerston North City Council building between 2am and 3am on Sunday, when she was attacked by a man believed to be in his late teens.

Detective Sergeant Simon Harrison said the victim and the alleged offender had been walking together prior to the attack.

"My belief is that the victim had only just met the offender," he said.

He would not release further details of the attack, saying only that the woman laid an official complaint yesterday after reporting the attack at 5.35am on Sunday.

"She's upset, as you can imagine, but she's got the support of her family," Mr Harrison said.

Police have begun scouring the city's CCTV footage and security cameras from nearby businesses in a bid to identify the man.

"I think as a result of that we'll stand a good chance of identifying the offender," he said.

Mr Harrison said he would consider getting an identikit sketch drawn, or releasing video footage, if police failed to find the offender.

Anyone who saw the pair walking on The Square between 2am and 3am on Sunday can contact the Palmerston North police station on 351 3600.

- © Fairfax NZ News