Girl, 12, sexually assaulted while walking through park

Police have released CCTV images of a man after a 12-year-old girl was sexually assaulted.

The girl was walking through Bowling Park in Bradford on Monday, 11 October at about 8.10am when a man approached and “grabbed and indecently touched her”, West Yorkshire Police said.

The force has issued three CCTV images of a man they wish to speak to in connection with the incident.

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The girl managed to break away from the man, who left the scene with her phone, although he dropped it a short time later, police said.

In a statement, the force said: “The victim was left uninjured but understandably shaken by the incident.”

In March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that 4.9 million women in England and Wales had been victims of sexual assault in their lives.

This included 1.4 million who had been raped or had been victims of attempted rape.

In the year ending March 2020, an estimated 618,000 women were victims of sexual assault, the ONS said.

Detective Inspector Julie Deacon, from Bradford District Police, said: “A substantial number of enquiries have been ongoing into what has been a serious but isolated incident, which we have recorded as a sexual assault.

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“We are now in a position to release CCTV images of a man we would like to speak with in connection with the incident, and would ask anyone who can help identify him to get in touch.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting crime reference 13210519025.

People can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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