Jogger brutally attacked while running through state forest: ‘Hell on earth’
A woman in Victoria who was attacked while out running through the bush says she’s been through “hell on earth” as the shock wears off from the weekend assault.
Sissy Austin, a former Greens candidate and Indigenous rights campaigner, has issued a desperate plea for her attacker to come forward in the wake of the incident.
“Please just hand yourself in,” she wrote on Facebook on Tuesday. “Today’s wearing off of shock has been hell on earth.”
Photos reveal brutal beating
The 29-year-old was out jogging through Lal Lal state forest, southeast of Ballarat, when she was assaulted on Saturday afternoon.
“[I] went for a run on a beautiful day in Lal Lal Forest Ballarat yesterday,” Ms Austin said alongside a series of images. In the first, she appears happy and smiling while the next is captured after the attack with her face covered in blood and cuts with a swollen lip. The third is taken from her hospital bed with a deep red bruise under her eye.
“Before and after picture of being randomly attacked and knocked out,” she explained. “[I] had to get 4kms back to my car before I called police and an ambulance came and got me. Home now from hospital but in shock with a massive throbbing headache. Women should be able to safely go for a f***ing run in this colony.”
Police urge locals to run in twos
Victoria Police say they’re investigating the assault, which occurred near the Blast Furnace Picnic Area sometime between 4pm and 5.30pm.
“The offender struck her in the head with a hand-made weapon, knocking her unconscious,” the statement to media read. “The victim woke to find the offender had fled and reported the incident. The woman was taken to hospital for non-life threatening facial injuries.”
While police confirmed they will up their patrols in the wake of the “one-off” attack, Detective Senior Sergeant Tony Coxall urged locals to be careful. “I suggest in the short term people run in twos,” he told journalists, as reported by the ABC.
In a message to the offender, he promised that a whole team of detectives are investigating. “We will identify and locate you,” he said. “What would be in your best interest is to come forward and hand yourself in.”
Police have released a description of the man as they appeal for anyone who witnessed the incident or has any relevant dash cam and CCTV footage to contact Crime Stoppers. The man is described as being Caucasian in appearance and was wearing black jeans, a cap and no shoes or shirt.
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Assault won’t stop victim running
While Ms Austin’s Facebook page has been inundated with support from friends, family and strangers, she says the incident won’t stop her from going back out there.
“Nothing will ever deter me from being out in the bush,” she wrote online. “I will come back strong and won’t be sitting in any sadness or fear. For now just cuddling my dogs.”
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