- Sex assault on girl, 4, at museum
- The Herald Sun
- 03/03/2009 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: The Rooster ( 258 articles in 2009 )
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD girl has been sexually assaulted in a brazen attack at the South Australian Museum.
Her attacker struck as her father was momentarily distracted in a courtyard area on the ground floor of the museum in Adelaide on Sunday.
The attack occurred with other museum patrons nearby and took less than two minutes, Detective Inspector Mark Trenwith, from the sexual crime investigation branch, said today.
"The child's father was in the vicinity of the shop there and was momentarily distracted," he said.
"It was all over before he had even realised something had happened."
Det Insp Trenwith said the attack appeared to be opportunistic, with the offender entering the museum only minutes before.
"This is a shocking thing to happen in broad daylight," he said.
"But it is a reminder to parents of little children that there are predators out there who, unfortunately, will behave in a despicable way.
"It's hard to fathom what's in these people's minds."
Closed circuit television footage did not capture the assault as it occurred behind a large marquee.
But images of the offender, before and afterwards, have been retrieved. Detectives are checking those images against a register of known sex offenders.
The girl was distraught after the assault, which involved inappropriate contact. She is undergoing counselling.
Det Insp Trenwith said there had been no similar incidents at the museum.
Her attacker struck as her father was momentarily distracted in a courtyard area on the ground floor of the museum in Adelaide on Sunday.
The attack occurred with other museum patrons nearby and took less than two minutes, Detective Inspector Mark Trenwith, from the sexual crime investigation branch, said today.
"The child's father was in the vicinity of the shop there and was momentarily distracted," he said.
"It was all over before he had even realised something had happened."
Det Insp Trenwith said the attack appeared to be opportunistic, with the offender entering the museum only minutes before.
"This is a shocking thing to happen in broad daylight," he said.
"But it is a reminder to parents of little children that there are predators out there who, unfortunately, will behave in a despicable way.
"It's hard to fathom what's in these people's minds."
Closed circuit television footage did not capture the assault as it occurred behind a large marquee.
But images of the offender, before and afterwards, have been retrieved. Detectives are checking those images against a register of known sex offenders.
The girl was distraught after the assault, which involved inappropriate contact. She is undergoing counselling.
Det Insp Trenwith said there had been no similar incidents at the museum.
Source: https://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25133475-5005961,00.html
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