Young woman grabbed by man in balaclava and sexually assaulted at night in Hampshire park in attempted rape

Police are appealing for witnesses following the attempted rape which took place at 8.30pm last night. The victim, 19, was walking through the park when a stranger grabbed her and sexually assaulted her before running away.

The male was wearing a balaclava which covered their face and a black hoody. The incident happened along Woodmill Lane in Riverside Park, Southampton.

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Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary have deployed specialised forces, including a dog unit, to Riverside Park to try and identify the person involved. A scene remains in place at the park and extra patrols have been deployed during the day and overnight.

The victim is being support by specialist officers. Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Watson, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘This incident will no doubt cause concern in the community, particularly among women and girls, and our main priority is to find the person responsible for this incident.

‘Were you in the area last night? Did you see anyone acting suspiciously? Do you have mobile phone footage which could help our investigation?

‘If so, please get in touch. You will see more officers on patrol in the area so please speak to them if you have any concerns.

‘I realise that there have been other instances of sexual offences occurring in parks in Southampton in recent weeks, but I would like to reassure you that in these cases we have arrested and charged individuals who are now going through the court process. Reducing violence against women and girls is one of our top priorities in Southampton and together with partners we do a lot of work to tackle the issue.

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‘This includes education and prevention work in schools; supporting the Safe Places scheme; having officers on patrol in the city centre at weekends and removing predatory males from the area and extensive work to prevent and respond to domestic violence.

‘We are working hard to progress this investigation and appreciate your support at this time.’ Anyone with information is advised to call 101, quoting Operation Metropolis or incident number 44230138987.

Reports can also be submitted on the police website.