Man in custody after brutal shopping centre assault

Police have arrested a man at a Darwin shopping centre after a brutal assault on a woman. Warning: Distressing

A man allegedly told a woman he was going to strangle and sexually assault her in a terrifying attack in a Casuarina Square toilet cubicle last week.

The incident has stunned traders at the centre who are at their wits-end waiting for issues around crime and anti-social behaviour across the Top End to be resolved.

The NT News confirmed on Tuesday the woman had left a shop within the complex where she was an employee to attend the bathroom late on Friday.

The woman allegedly exited a toilet cubicle to be confronted by a male at the door who pushed her back inside, locked the door and told her he was planning to strangle and rape her.

The woman was allegedly trapped in the corner of the cubicle and unable to move as the man began to attack her.

NT Police arrested a man after an alleged sexual assault. Picture: Glenn Campbell

A noise within the centre distracted the man and the woman, aged in her 30s, was able to free herself and scream before her attacker allegedly fled from the bathroom into the centre proper.

He was arrested after being detained by a member of the public.

The woman is understood to still be deeply disturbed by the incident and has not returned to work.

NT Police confirmed on Tuesday it had charged a 22-year-old man with attempted sexual assault after an incident at a Casuarina shopping centre on Friday, September 1.

Police Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC).

The man was charged with attempted sexual assault, aggravated assault and unlawful stalking and was remanded to appear at Darwin Local Court on October 25.

Police defended not releasing details of the assault, saying the privacy of the victim was paramount.

“There was no risk to the wider public as the alleged offender was immediately arrested and is now before the courts,” a spokesman said.

“Every instance of sexual assault is serious and all incidents that result in charges are publicly released through crime statistics broken down by region. The public disclosure of sexual assaults is for the victim and the relevant authority.”