Serial rapist targets tourist in Bali: Australian woman is latest victim after robbers broke in and attacked her as her family slept nearby



Woman, 28, from Perth, had knife held to her throat during assault



Attacker broke in to her room at villa on the holiday island

Raped while seven members of family, including children, slept nearby



A serial rapist is believed to be behind a terrifying attack on a 28-year-old Australian woman in Bali.

The woman, from Perth, had a knife held to her throat during the assault in the early hours of Saturday morning at a rented villa on the island.

She told police she had been forced to open a safe before being raped while seven other members of her family, including children, slept nearby in the property.

Attack: A 28 year old Australian woman was raped in Bali after men scaled the wall of the villa she was staying in with other family members

Link: Police believe the attack may have been carried out by a man suspected of carrying out a number of other similar attacks on the island, which is popular with western tourists

A spokesman for the local police force said the robbery was carried out by a number of people, who entered the villa by jumping on a boundary wall.

Officers said her description of the man who allegedly raped her matches that of a suspect in previous attacks on the beautiful island, which is popular with western tourists.

Three iPads, two mobile phones and about £100 worth of local currency in cash was stolen during the break-in, according to 9News.

The attack is the latest of a number of violent assaults on western tourists on Bali, which is a province of Indonesia.

Image: Fears have been raised about Bali's image as a holiday destination following recent attacks on western tourists

These include an attack by a gang on a woman in March in Kuta as she made her way home from a party and the stabbing of an Australian man in January as he fought off armed robbers.

The attacks have led to concerns over the potential impact on Bali's vital tourism industry.

The island had been rebuilding its image following the terrorist bombings of 2002 and 2005 - with a steady year on year increase in visitors from abroad.