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Young female jogger grabbed on the neck by a man in Subiaco

Michael TraillThe West Australian
The woman was attacked without warning on Friday night, police say.
Camera IconThe woman was attacked without warning on Friday night, police say. Credit: Daniel Wilkins/The West Australian

Police are on the hunt for a male predator after a young woman was grabbed from behind and pulled to the ground while jogging in Subiaco.

The man wrapped his arm around the woman’s neck on a shared pedestrian-bike path that runs parallel to the Fremantle train line near Subiaco Road about 6.55pm on Friday.

Both the man and the woman fell to the ground, before the woman — aged in her 20s — was able to break free by punching her attacker.

Police said she was listening to music at the time of the attack and that other people were in the area when it took place.

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The man police are looking for is described as aged between 25 and 35, about 175cm tall, with dark skin, a slim build and black collar-length hair.

He was wearing a dark-coloured baseball cap, a yellow or light-mustard corduroy jacket and black pants at the time.

“Numerous people were in the vicinity of the bike path around the time of the incident and detectives urge anyone with any information relating to this incident to call Crime Stoppers,” police said in a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon.

The shared path runs between Subiaco’s Market Square and the Perth CBD past the now demolished Subiaco Oval and newly built Bob Hawke College secondary school.

Earlier this year the State Government announced a “green link” plan for the area, focusing on pedestrian safety, by connecting the site of Subiaco Oval to Bob Hawke College and Mueller Park on Roberts Road.

A “pedestrian priority zone” was also flagged for the nearby West Leederville train station in the plans.

The attack on Friday night comes just over three years since the horrific murder and rape of comedian Eurydice Dixon, pictured, in Princess Park in Melbourne.

Ms Dixon, 22, was stalked by Jaymes Todd as she walked home at night in June 2018 — sparking vigils across the country, including at Hyde Park in Perth.

At that vigil, WA Minister for Women’s Interests Simone McGurk, said women had been “well-schooled” in managing their personal safety on a “day-to-day” basis and called on Australian men to stand up.

“We all know good men. We need these men to be standing beside us and calling for change with us. Their involvement and capacity to lead and step forward is critical,” Ms McGurk said at the time.

“It’s painful to be here this evening, gathered in this park, a park that I reflect must have been very similar to the one just last week in Melbourne.”

Todd — who was 19 at the time — was sentenced to a minimum 35-year prison sentence for Ms Dixon’s murder and rape in September 2019.

Anyone with information about Friday night’s attack can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit crimestopperswa.com.au.

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