A woman who says she was sexually assaulted on a main street in Melbourne's inner north says she is speaking out to protect other women from the "calculated and deliberate" attack.
Police are appealing for public help in identifying her alleged assailant and have urged people to report any similar incidents in the Brunswick area.
Sarah*, 30, was on her way to meet a friend for their regular Sunday morning exercise about 6:20am on February 7.
"We go walking or running every Sunday morning. And we like to go quite early before it gets busy," she said.
She was walking down Sydney Road, Brunswick's busy main street, when she noticed a man wearing a hoodie and a face mask standing next to her at an intersection near Albert Street.
The man walked so close to Sarah as she continued down Sydney Road that she said, "I could have touched him".
"And I was trying to walk faster, to get away from him, obviously. And looking straight ahead. I didn't want to look at him and engage with him," she said.
"And then at some point actually got in front of him. And I remember feeling quite relieved, because I thought I'd lost him and he'd lost interest.
"And that's the point of time that he's come from behind and assaulted [me]."
Sarah said the man remained completely silent the entire time. She yelled at him and he then walked away down nearby Merri Street.
Investigators now believe the man was following Sarah for at least 1 kilometre before he assaulted her.
'I refuse to change how I live my life'
Detective Senior Constable Diane Jeffries said investigators believed it was a "targeted attack".
"He's made efforts to conceal himself. He's seen gaining distance on the victim," she said.
Sarah said she was speaking out now "because it feels calculated and deliberate".
"To me, it's either already happened to someone else, or it will at some point, and I'm not okay with that."
The inner Melbourne suburb of Brunswick has been the site of several high profile attacks on women in recent years.
Sarah said she had continued meeting her friend on Sunday mornings for exercise.
"I still go because I refuse to change how I live my life," she said.
"But I do ride my bike."
Man remained in area after the attack
Police have released CCTV footage of a man they believe may be able to assist them with their enquiries.
The Caucasian man, thought to be in his 30s, is approximately 170 centimetres tall with light brown crew cut hair and a receding hairline.
At the time of the assault, he was wearing a red Nike hoodie and had a light blue surgical mask on.
Senior Constable Jeffries said it was believed the man may be local to the Brunswick area.
He remained in the area for at least half an hour after the assault before being seen on CCTV heading back in the direction he came from.
Senior Constable Jeffries said there had not been any other reports of similar incidents, but detectives were appealing for anyone who had been the victim of an assault to come forward.
"It's extremely concerning," she said.
"Any person, male or female, should be able to walk the streets of Melbourne without being approached by someone like this."
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
*Sarah has been given a pseudonym by police to protect her identity
