A woman was sexually assaulted in Brunswick on Friday night, a week after two women were attacked in the same area after leaving Sydney Road bars.
The three attacks occurred in the vicinity of where Jill Meagher was raped and murdered after walking home from a Brunswick bar in 2012.
Victoria Police confirmed that a woman was assaulted in Hope Street at 8pm.
The Brunswick West woman was walking through a park when she was grabbed from behind by an unknown attacker.
Sexual Crime Squad detectives have been told the man attempted to sexually assault her but was disturbed by a passing cyclist.
The offender fled the scene and was last seen running west along Hope Street and across a creek.
The woman received minor injuries and was assisted by a passerby who contacted police.
The offender is described as Caucasian, aged in his 30s, with medium to solid build, dark hair, a beard and blood-shot eyes.
He was wearing a dark-coloured hoodie with tracksuit pants.
It is believed that the latest attack is not linked to the earlier Brunswick assaults.
Early last Saturday, two women, both aged 22, were grabbed from behind in a bear hug or head-lock before being dragged into side streets and assaulted.
The first woman had left a hotel and was walking in Sydney Road about 1.15am when she was pulled into Stewart Street and assaulted.
She escaped and flagged down a friend who was driving past in a taxi.
Detectives have been told the same man then approached a second woman in nearby Charles Street about 2.20am, grabbing her from behind and wrestling her to the ground.
She broke free and ran home where she raised the alarm.
It is believed the same man may have approached other women in the vicinity on the night.
The man is described as 180 centimetres tall with a thin build and fair complexion.
He was wearing a dark-coloured hoodie with blue jeans.
The attacks come as police hunt for a man who has been preying on female joggers in Melbourne’s west.
Detectives have been told three women have been indecently assaulted while jogging in Newport and Yarraville in the past fortnight.
Each woman was approached between 6am and 8am, grabbed from behind and indecently assaulted.
Anyone with information is asked to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800333 000.
– with Benjamin Millar
