SYDNEY, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- An Asian woman walking her dogs with her partner on Sydney's lower north shore has been abused and bashed in an unprovoked and possibly racially-motivated attack.
New South Wales police said in a statement on Tuesday that a 26-year-old woman and her 29-year-old partner left their Mosman home on Monday night to walk their dogs.
Just after 23:00 local time (AEST), while they were walking their dogs in Sydney's Glover Street the couple noticed a man on the other side of the road calling out to them.
"There is a possibility it's racial abuse but we haven't had a chance to talk to the victim yet as she is in hospital," Detective Chief Inspector Craig Thorpe told Fairfax Media.
The man, who was not known to the couple, then crossed the road and allegedly pushed the 29-year-old woman before head-butting her.
She fell to the ground while the man began walking away and crossed the street.
The woman managed to get to her feet and followed her alleged attacker.
Another confrontation occurred, with the man allegedly punching the woman in the face a number of times before leaving again.
Local police and the dog squad were called in to help find the man, who was arrested after leaving his Mosman home not long after.
The victim was taken to hospital suffering a fractured eye socket and remained there until Tuesday.
Thorpe said the alleged attack was "totally unprovoked."
"There is no relationship between them whatsoever," Thorpe said. "He is a local man and for whatever reason an assault has occurred."
"She has some severe face injuries. I don't know if she is going to have surgery or not but it is definitely a consideration," he said.
While police are yet to get a formal statement from the victim in hospital, initial versions suggest the abuse was racial.
The 34-year-old man, who hasn't come to the attention of police before, spent the night at North Sydney Police Station.
He has been charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm and common assault and is due to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.
