suspect on bail after woman attacked on seawall

Police say a suspect is out on bail after a woman suffered a violent assault while walking Vancouver’s Seawall this month and sharing her story online.

The victim says she was a tourist in Vancouver, walking near Stanley Park, when she was brutally and repeatedly attacked by a stranger in the early hours of Tuesday, April 15.

In a video posted online, the woman says she was on vacation, strolling near the water just after midnight, when a man spotted her and slammed her to the ground.

She says the attack that ensued was vicious, and she tried to escape, but he caught up with her, forcing her to fight him off four separate times. The woman says she believes the man intended to kill her.

Sgt. Steve Addison with the Vancouver Police Department confirms more than 20 police officers responded to the incident and were able to apprehend a suspect.

In an update Thursday, Addison says the 34-year-old man, who is now facing charges of assault causing bodily harm related to the incident, is no longer in custody as of Wednesday.

He says police sought to have the man remanded, but a B.C. court saw fit to release him.

“Our understanding is he was released with some restrictive conditions, including house arrest and an order to undertake some mental health intervention,” Addison added.

“We still have some concerns for community safety, just because of the nature of this attack. It was violent, it was unprovoked, it was against a stranger, and we’re assessing our options right now. There’s been a lot of publicity that resulted from the victim and survivor in this case — from coming forward — and that’s a good thing, because it’s brought attention to this. We’re going to assess and reassess the risk to the public.”

The suspect was previously out on bail when the incident occurred. He was arrested on April 13 after allegedly assaulting a peace officer in Surrey and uttering threats.

—With files from Srushti Gangdev