A woman was beaten and raped today after two burglars broke into her home in Belfast.
The 36-year-old victim was left severely traumatised and needed hospital treatment for head wounds.
She woke at around 4am to find two men in the bedroom of her house in Brookvale Avenue, north Belfast.
As one of the intruders searched for valuables, his partner carried out the serious sexual assault, police said.
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A spokeswoman added: "The woman was hit on the head and body and sustained five staple wounds to her head and extensive bruising to the head and body."
Detectives have urged anyone in the Brookvale Avenue, Cliftonville Road or Waterworks areas at the time of the attack to contact police.