Police say sexual assault victim didn't know attacker

The hunt is under way for a man who broke into a Dieppe woman's house yesterday morning and sexually assaulted her.

Referring to the incident as a "horrendous" act, Codiac RCMP Cpl. Mike Gaudet said yesterday many officers were assigned to the case in an attempt to find out who attacked the woman in the middle of the night.

"This is not something common, so all available members are helping out," said the corporal.

The incident occurred sometime early yesterday morning at a residence on Fortune Street, off Chartersville Road.

"It appears the person broke in through the back door," said Gaudet.

While he's not sure where in the house the assault happened, he says the woman was awakened by the intruder and attacked. The 29-year-old victim, who was alone in the house at the time, was taken to hospital, treated and released.

The RCMP had many officers at the residence and in the neighbourhood yesterday investigating the crime.

"We have Codiac's Major Crime Unit and also the Forensic Identification Section working on the case," said Gaudet.

Plainclothes officers were canvassing the neighbourhood talking to residents to see if anyone heard or saw anything suspicious. Neighbours who spoke to the Times & Transcript didn't want to be identified, but expressed concern about such an attack happening in their neighbourhood. One woman said she has a daughter, so the thought of a woman being sexually assaulted in her own home is very troubling.

Gaudet said the victim told investigators she didn't know her attacker. She described the man as five-feet-nine-inches tall and approximately 200 pounds, wearing dark clothing. There was no estimated age given for the attacker.

Investigators were going to interview the woman again to try to get more details about the attack and the intruder. Gaudet also said it's not known at this point if the attacker stalked or followed the woman before breaking into her house.

"We're trying to determine if this was a random attack," he said.

Gaudet said he's not aware of specific details about the assault, for example if she was raped during the attack.

"We're asking if anyone might have heard or seen anything out of the ordinary to call us and let us know," said the corporal.

Police are also asking residents to take steps to ensure their property is secure, such as locking doors and windows and making sure the outside of their homes is well-lit.