Woman launches search for stranger who helped her when she was assaulted on London bus

The stranger asked the attacker if he 'had any sisters'

Ms Regehr posted this picture thanking the stranger who came to her aid and took a stand against harassment in a written post and accompanying picture (Kaitlyn Regehr's Facebook post)

A woman who was assaulted on a bus is searching for the stranger who stepped in to help her so she can thank him.

In a Facebook post which has been shared more than 16,000 times, Kaitlyn Regehr did not describe the details of the assault but wrote: "Thank you for saying something when that man attacked me. Thank you for insisting that it was not acceptable [...] You said, 'She could be your sister. She is someone's sister,' and in doing so you made me a person. You made us a community.

"I thank you not just because you stood up for me, or because you made me feel safe, but because on your transit home - in this big, potentially anonymous city - you humanised assault. You didn't turn away. You took a stand.

"Because you are right. I am someone's sister. We all are. And us kids should all stand up for each other."

Ms Regehr, who was on the 207 bus towards Acton in London, added a plea for people to share and spread her message so she could find the conscientious man and buy him a pint to thank him.

In response to her post, neary 20,000 people have forwarded her message so far. It is not known yet whether the man in question has seen it.

Ms Regehr's grandfather is among those to have replied: "The battle of good and evil continues. So sorry that you were in the middle of it but we are so grateful you are well. We love you," he wrote. She replied: "Thanks Grampa! Love you guys."

Many others celebrated that "good men" were still "out there" and female well-wishers shared similar stories of being assaulted or afraid of walking home at night.

One woman wrote: "My husband always wants to be there to take my street harassers down, but he doesn't get that they'll never prey on me unless I'm alone."

Ninety per cent of British women have experienced a form of street harassment before the age of 17, according to a recent international survey carried out by Cornell University and anti-harassment campaign group Hollaback! This was higher than the international average of 84 per cent.

Sixty-four per cent of Irish women reported being groped or fondled in the last year, and 88 per cent of Italian women have taken a different route home to avoid harassment, the study found.