A LOCAL woman has described the horror of being sexually assaulted at a music festival on the weekend.
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The 23-year-old was at the Oz Rock music event in Busselton on Saturday, January 25 when she was attacked by a man who remains at large.
Fronting the media today, the woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, described the terrifying incident and said she was still in shock.
“I was about 20 metres from the front of the stage when Jimmy Barnes came on,” she said.
“I wanted to enjoy my favourite song near the mosh pit.”
The woman said within seconds of the song’s start a man pulled her skirt down and attacked “in front of everyone”.
She said the man grabbed her from behind before digitally penetrating her during the assault which she estimated lasted four minutes.
“Everyone was watching the stage,” she said.
“No one could tell what was happening.
“I couldn’t get away; I just froze.
“I looked him right in the face and he whispered in my ear – ‘you’re not going anywhere’.”
The woman said she grabbed onto a man next to her before managing to escape her attacker.
She ran through the crowd but became lost.
Reporting the incident to police immediately, the woman provided a description of the man she said had black eyes.
“He’s an animal,” she said.
“I’m in shock.”
Since the attack the woman, who is a mother of two, said she had not been able to sleep and her relationship with her partner had been “massively affected”.
“It’s eating away at me,” she said.
“I don’t know where I’d be without my family.”
The woman encouraged anyone suffering a similar experience to speak out.
She was also hopeful someone at the event may have footage of the man who attacked her.
She described him as Caucasian with a slim build, a wide-set jaw with a short orange beard and dreadlocks.
He was wearing a red t-shirt and black boardshorts.
The woman also called for more police and security at similar events.
“The police there did everything they could,” she said.
“But I would like to see more.”
She said catching the man responsible for the sexual abuse would mean “everything” to her.
“I want people to come forth if they saw anything,” she said.
“Someone may have a photo.”
Anyone with information about the attack is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
