Police said she was approached by an unidentified man early Sunday morning, who pulled her into a nearby alley, where he sexually assaulted her, repeatedly striking her in the face and banging her head against a wall.

The woman needed hospital treatment for her injuries.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: “She suffered serious facial and other injuries as a result of this horrific ordeal, which she was only able to escape after her attacker released her.

“The woman was then able to raise the alarm for help and the suspect fled the scene on foot.”

Police asked anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident to contact them.