Police searching for a man who has been on the run for more than five decades after allegedly raping a woman in her Melbourne home have revealed what he would look like today.

A 30-year-old woman was asleep in her Fitzroy home during the early hours of July 22 in 1974 when she woke up to a stranger in her bedroom, who raped her.

A little over a week later, 27-year-old George Karakis was arrested and charged with rape, burglary and indecent assault.

His wife paid his $1000 bail for him to appear at Fitzroy Magistrates’ Court on October 9 that same year, but he never showed.

Karakis has been on the run since.

Police in New South Wales believed they had found him in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in 1990, but he fled again before they could execute a warrant. 

Public appeals and attempts to find him have been unsuccessful.

Today, police have released his mugshot and a digitally-generated image of what Karakis could look like now in a new effort to find answers.

“Our victim survivor is now in her 80s and been forced to live most of her adult life knowing this man has not faced court for the brutal crime he is accused of,” Yarra Crime Investigation Unit Detective Senior Constable Ruby Roberts said.

“This crime changed her life forever and 50 years is a long time to live without the justice we would so dearly like to give her.

“There will absolutely be people out there who know where Karakis fled and may even know where he is now residing.

“Given the length of time, there is also the possibility he has passed away – we just want to find answers so we can close this chapter in our victim’s life.”

Karakis was born in Turkey and speaks Greek.

At the time of his arrest, he lived with his wife, sister and brother-in-law at a home in Gore Street in Fitzroy. 

He was recorded being about 162cm tall with brown eyes, dark hair and a 2cm scar over his left eyebrow.

Anyone with information about him or his potential whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

“Sometimes the smallest piece of information is all we need to get that breakthrough lead that could result in an arrest,” Roberts said.