Australian holidaymaker raped in Bali

An Australian holidaymaker was raped on the Indonesian resort island of Bali by a thief who broke into her family's rented villa, police said Monday.

The man attacked the 28-year-old woman, from Perth in Western Australia, after entering the property in the popular tourist area of Kuta around 04:00 am on Saturday (2000 GMT on Friday).

The assailant, believed to be Indonesian, threatened her with a knife and demanded she hand over her wallet and open the safe in her room, according to police.

"The woman opened the safe and there was nothing inside, and then the man raped her," local police chief Reinhard Habonaran Nainggolan told reporters, adding he believed the man had accomplices who kept watch outside the house.

He stole three iPads, two mobile phones and 1.5 million rupiah ($154), Nainggolan said.

The police chief said the woman needed hospital treatment after the attack but had since been discharged and had returned to Australia with her family on Sunday.

He said the victim had given a description of the alleged attacker, whom police believe is a man suspected of carrying out previous rapes. A hunt for the suspect is ongoing, he said.

The villa was usually watched by one security guard, but he had left his post that night, said Nainggolan