A NSW mayor who sparked outrage by telling women not to walk alone in parks at night because it's "an invitation" for someone to take advantage of them has apologised.
Albury mayor Kevin Mack made the comments after a 17-year-old told police she was dragged into bushes by three men and sexually assaulted on Tuesday in the NSW town on the Victorian border.
"I apologise without reservation. It was a poor choice of words and if I had my time back again I wouldn't have said it," he told the ABC on Friday morning.
"The girl in question has not done anything wrong.
"She was doing what she would do every day and she's been the victim of a heinous crime and her callous attackers are responsible for that."
On Thursday Mr Mack said he always encourages women to have someone with them at all times and not walk alone.
"Because that in itself is an invitation for someone to take advantage of you," he told the ABC after news of the attack broke.
Collective Shout spokesperson Melinda Liszewski said his comments reinforced the myth that women are responsible for rape.
"I think the advice about not going out alone, while well meaning, is misguided and ineffective," she told 2UE on Friday.
"Women not walking alone is not a solution to stopping sexual assault."
Ms Liszewski said 70 per cent of rapes were committed by someone known to the victim, while 29 per cent were committed by acquaintances in a social setting.
Just one per cent of rapes were committed by a stranger, she said.
"The attack that this woman went through is horrific and extremely dangerous but it also represents the least likely (scenario)," she said.
Social media users accused Mr Mack of "victim blaming".
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