A WOMAN claims she was saved by a hero priest after being allegedly beaten and raped inside a Church by a homeless man.

The 68-year-old woman, identified only as 'Jane Doe,' was subjected to the brutal attack by Craig Ellis, 55, inside the Hamilton Heights Catholic Church in Manhattan on January 30, 2019.

According to a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, the elderly victim visited the place of worship when she noticed strange activity inside.

After entering the building, it's claimed that she was suddenly jumped by her attacker who proceeded to carry out a string of horrific assaults.

The lawsuit states that Mr Ellis, “covered her mouth and took her to the bathroom before locking the two of them inside.”

From there he “proceeded to beat her with his fist and slam her against the wall.”

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"At that point, the perpetrator ripped off [her] clothes and raped her."

The nightmare attack only came to an end when Rev. Gilberto Angel-Neri entered the church at roughly 10pm.

The victim allegedly screamed for help, alerting the local priest to her aid as Mr Ellis fled the scene.

The suspect was arrested by cops some hours later with the victim’s jacket and cell phone in his possession.

He was charged with assault, attempted sexual assault and larceny and remains in police custody on a $100,000 bail, the New York Post reports.

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The suspect, who had previously been arrested 30 times, has also undergone several psychiatric evaluations, the outlet added.   

In her lawsuit filed against Our Lady of Lourdes Church and the New York Archdiocese, Ms Doe claimed that Mr Ellis was "known to the church members and staff to be a danger to the community.”

She added that officials “failed to take reasonable security measures.”

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