A $500,000 reward is being offered for information to solve a violent sexual assault that put a Melbourne woman in hospital and left with her lifelong injuries 35 years ago.
A man broke into the woman's Burnley apartment late one night in 1985 before threatening her with a knife and physically and sexually assaulting her.
The 69-year-old woman, who had been home alone reading a book, remained in intensive care for eight weeks following the attack by a man described as having blonde hair and blue eyes.
Several items were stolen, with a second person potentially involved in the incident.
Victoria Police Detective Inspector Juliann Goldrick said the assault was "prolonged and vicious".
"It was extremely violent in nature - we haven't seen another one like that," she told reporters on Tuesday.
Det Insp Goldrick said the offender would be now be aged between 55 and 65.
"We are committed to holding perpetrators of sexual assault to account - it doesn't matter how long it takes," she said.
Det Insp Goldrick said she hoped the "life-changing" amount of money up for reward would encourage anyone with information to come forward.
Police have started to re-examine the exhibits retained from the crime scene, with the cold case labelled "definitely solvable" but never linked to any other offences.
The deceased victim's now 77-year-old daughter, known as Bev, said she wanted the man who attacked her mother to be held accountable in her own lifetime.
"She did nothing to deserve this and I can't imagine why anyone would do such a horrible thing to a woman of her age," Bev said.
"To me they aren't human - they're unfeeling, uncaring and callous.
"It destroyed her life and she was never the same. Her health just went completely downhill after that and she didn't go out, she didn't have a social life."
The $500,000 reward will be paid at the discretion of the Victoria Police Chief Commissioner for information leading to the apprehension and subsequent conviction of the person or people responsible.
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